Controversy in England over the new shirt that the team will debut at Wembley against Brazil

England and Brazil They will be protagonists on Saturday at Wembley in one of the best matches of the group of friendlies that will be played from Wednesday to next Tuesday. Under normal conditions, supporters of the Three lions They would be attentive to the recovery of the Captain Harry Kanewho did not train on Friday, resulting in the injury of Bukayo Saka which on Thursday forced him to abandon his concentration at St. George’s Park or the possible debuts of the youngsters Jarrad Branthwaite and Kobbie Mainoo. However, in these hours the attention and the debate are concentrated in the clothes in which the British cast will make their debut before Yellow green. The controversy over the new design has escalated to such an extent that it has even involved Prime Minister Rishi Sunak put the spoon.

A chromatic alteration in a tiny fragment of the jacket delivered with great fanfare on Monday, it generated an attempted rebellion in the territory of the inventors of football, a staunchly traditionalist country that still has a majority and proudly supports its rusty monarchy. On the new shirt that the team will wear in home games, the cross of St. Georgehistorically red on a white background and usually embroidered on the collar, it will have stripes in shades of navy blue, light blue and purple.

Nikethe company that supplies clothing to the English Football Association (FA), He explained that the change was a tribute to the 1966 World Cup champions. (the only one obtained by the English in their history), since the training uniform used by the winners of that title featured these colors which are now reflected in the St. George’s cross. As if that wasn’t enough to rile the minds of traditionalists, the American company said yes “a fun update” of the shirt.

The change to the flag was the work of a Nike designer, but the initiative was approved by the FA. “The new shirt features a number of design elements that are intended as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team”explained an FA spokesperson, who recalled that it was not the first time that the colors of the St George’s cross had been altered. During the qualification for Euro 2012, for example, small purple, green and blue crosses were inserted on the white shirt.

Nike also defended the initiative. “The England 2024 home kit revolutionizes history with a modern version of a classic”a company spokesperson celebrated in statements reported by the Daily Mail. “We understand the meaning and importance of the St George’s cross and It was never our intention to offend.“given what it means to England fans.”, He added. The new jacket was launched on the market at unaffordable prices in a crisis economy: £124.99 for the adult version and £119.99 for the children’s version.

The revamped design generated a wave of criticism. Some rejected it because they considered it “woke up”term whose literal translation is “I woke up”which was born in the black community of the United States to refer to the need for attention to racism, which then expanded to include a careful look at other social problems and which in recent years has crossed borders and acquired, as boomeranga negative connotation among the more conservative sectors.

Beyond that, the main issue revolves around the modification of a national symbol. The refusal aligned several legends of English football. “It is a pity”said the long-winded veteran and former coach. Harry Redknapp. “I’ve seen many goals conceded in my time, but this has to be the worst of them all. Who the fuck thought this was a good idea? It is the cross of St. George, red and white. Would Nike do the same to another country’s flag? It’s something that should be respected, not changed for fun, as they say. I hope they make sense and reconsider.”churches.

Two historic former goalkeepers of the team joined the crusade. “I’m totally against it, which is no surprise because I’m a real traditionalist. We’ve seen a lot of changes in jersey designs so that fans buy the new one every time it comes out, but now they play with the colors of a national flag. Where will it end? Will the next shirt have more color changes? A pink band around it?“He wondered Peter Shiltonthe man who represented the national team several times (125 matches between 1970 and 1990).

Davide MarinaioEven, the goalkeeper who took Shilton’s place in the English defense (he made 75 matches between 1988 and 2002), expressed indignation at the new uniform. “What’s next? Will the Three Lions change with three cats? It is the flag of Saint George. Leave her alone”he has declared.

The expressions of rejection crossed the boundaries of the ball and intensified. In an election year in which all the consultancy firms announce the defeat of their party, in a country officially in recession since February, suffering from a sharp deterioration in public services, unpayable rents and mortgages, wage arrears and record levels of poverty, the conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak He took the time to express his opinion on this topic.

“Obviously I prefer the original (t-shirt). My general opinion is that, when it comes to our national flags, We shouldn’t joke with them because they are a source of prideof identity, of who we are, and they are perfect just the way they are.”said Sunak, riding the wave of rejection.

From the other end of the party arch, Sir Keir StarmerLabor leader since succeeding Jeremy Corbyn in 2020, has called on Nike to withdraw the new shirt from the market and, in the meantime, reduce the price of team clothing. “I’m a big football fan, I go to England matches, both men’s and women’s, and everyone uses the flag. It’s unifying and we don’t need to change it, we just need to be proud of it.”discussion.

The flood of criticism does not appear to have any impact on Nike and the FA, who have no intention of taking even half a step back, at least for now. Therefore, the team led by Gareth Southgate He will wear the shirt with the multicolored cross of Saint George both in Saturday’s match against Brazil and in next Tuesday’s match against Belgium, also at Wembley.