A new post on our blog looks at the England team heading for Sunday’s [July 11th] UEFA European Championship final, describing it as “undeniably special”.
The post by our senior consultant, Andrew Weltch, highlights the new ethos created by manager Gareth Southgate, who shows “a level of intelligence and compassion rarely seen in professional sport”.
This ethos is based around Southgate’s vision of the duty that comes with the England shirt to communicate with the public about issues like equality, inclusivity and racial injustice.
By ‘taking a knee’ before each game, the team has knowingly alienated a section of its fanbase and antagonised the government. But it sees showing its opposition to discrimination as more important.
The post also looks at social campaigns and charities launched by players like Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling. “This isn’t a team that takes the easy way out,” says the post, before concluding: “Whether they win or lose in the final, this is a remarkable group of young men. In fulfilling their off-field duty, as spelt out by their inspirational leader, they are already winners in my book”.
You can read the full blog post here.
Photo: Mark Hawkins/ Composed Images
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