The European Championship is approaching, fans are already hyped up, and football manufacturers sometimes are eager to push them beyond the bounds of reason. Puma has played with the emotions of all the teams wearing their gear in Qatar, but now even Nike, known for the quality and design of its jerseys, has drawn the ire of the English. True, Nike has been known for provocative reactions before; we all remember those fluorescent fashion details that were suitable for every occasion except the field, but they probably didn’t expect such a response.”Favourite England kit so far… putting it out there!” 🏴@PhilFoden’s a huge fan of our new threads 🤩— England (@England) March 20, 2024 The problem arose around the St. George’s Cross, red on a white background which adorns the English flag. Nike has coloured this very cross, or as the company itself stated: played with it. It didn’t have to wait long for a response. Fans and commentators disagree and have reacted angrily since the release of the kit — which England will wear at Euro 2024 this summer — branding it ‘woke’ and ‘dumb’.A playful update to the 🏴 of St. George appears on the collar to unite and inspire. pic.twitter.com/lXEjXhbIJO— Nike Football (@nikefootball) March 18, 2024 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that ‘The flag’s unifying, it doesn’t need to change. We just need to be proud of it. So I think they should just reconsider this and change it back’. Reform UK MP Lee Anderson blasted the move.“The Left have a nerve to ask me why I want my country back. This virtue-signalling, namby-pamby, pearl-clutching, woke nonsense must stop” he told the Daily Express.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan tried to be calmer.”I don’t quite understand why Nike played around with our identity. Is our identity a joke or something we should be ashamed of? I think we should take pride in it. I don’t see it as offensive. I think it’s necessary. And instead of embracing it, we turn it into some meaningless cross that means nothing to anyone. No other country in the world would allow this” he said to Daily Mail.Former City and Newcastle footballer, the controversial Joey Barton had something to say, off course.”Why rainbow colors? Why didn’t you change the symbols of France, the USA, or the Netherlands? True fans should boycott this jersey. Shame. I won’t buy this for my sons. They could have put a rainbow or the flag of Palestine or Ukraine on it. Fix this, Nike” he wrote.##NAJAVA_MECA_7975205##For now, nothing will change. Both Nike and FA decided to ignore the first ‘wave’ of protests and announced that they wouldn’t change anything. To be honest, they don’t have the time to do it. The design was approved and entered into the production cycle two years ago, and it would take six to nine months to change the kit and distribute it.
