Before the final of the 2021 European Football Championship, the Scottish newspaper The National has put an ironic cover on a major problem facing Great Britain.
Glasgow – With flowing mane, battle gear and face painting in the light blue national color of Scotland, many Scots looked at the newspaper reading on Saturday (10.07.2021) Italy’s national coach Roberto Mancini as the Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace in the film “Braveheart” from the front page of the newspaper The National . In addition the call: “Save us, Roberto! You are our last hope. ”Some made the photo montage smile, while many English media read it as a national affront to England. The newspaper’s cover wasn’t primarily about the rivalry between Scotland and England on the football field.
The problem that the Scottish newspaper, which also openly supports the country’s aspirations for independence in the north of Great Britain, wanted to point out, lies in the tradition of the British media. They traditionally reported from an English point of view and thus ensured that compatriots from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland did not feel represented. This was evident not least in the wave of criticism that the Scottish newspaper received from journalists for the BBC, for example – because here you felt yourself being attacked personally by the Schott people.
Scottish newspaper with “Braveheart” cover: English media criticize
Some representatives of the British media world were even a little offended that the neighbors in the north might cross their fingers for the Italian national team instead of their own compatriots under the flag of England. For example, The National quotes Susanna Reid, who hosted the breakfast television “Good Morning Britain” on Sunday: “I know that many felt attacked by the front page, after all, the English team represents the best that Great Britain has to offer football.”
Such reactions are the problem, the editorial team of the National replied in its reporting on the reactions from England: “The fact that Scotland and Wales were also part of the tournament and were able to represent themselves was apparently ignored”. The clear expectation of Schott: on the part of the England-focused media, the English national team must be supported in the European Championship final against Italy.
In a press conference prior to the game, Mancini himself commented on the controversial cover: “I like the front page,” said the 56-year-old, who has coached the Italian national team since 2018. But: “We have to play a good game, that’s our only focus now. After all, it’s about a soccer game, ”continued the Italian national coach. For the British media landscape, however, the struggle for the supremacy of England continues after the European Championship final: regardless of who wins the match on Sunday evening. (Sandra Kathe)
