Opinion: The return of a certain English pride as England reach Euro 2020 final

As the referee called time on a bruising, emotional and ultimately cathartic 2-1 win over Denmark in the Euro 2020 semifinal at Wembley on Wednesday (July 7) night, the communal experience was dialed up another notch. Relief, joy and no little pride poured from the voices of people starved of these experiences for so long.

I was one of them. My first memory of watching England was in World Cup 90 as an 8-year-old. We lost in the semifinal to West Germany. Six years later, football came home. We lost in the semifinal again, to Germany.

But not on Wednesday. Not this England. While the country tears itself in two over Brexit, or wearing masks or the Prime Minister’s sofa, Gareth Southgate has assembled a team for almost everyone to be proud of, on and off the pitch.

As “Sweet Caroline” was pumped over the PA after the final whistle, England’s players looked thoroughly unburdened. Good times never felt so good.

Kalvin Phillips picked out a pocket of Leeds fans in the crowd and swapped his shirt for a flag which he struggled to unveil, Declan Rice beamed and Kyle Walker led the awkward alternate fist pumps which form the England fan’s response to the Neil Diamond number.

Diverse, outspoken team unite a country racked by division

These are players to be proud of, playing under a coach who has helped them become that. While the social engagement of Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling taking the knee draws the headlines, this is a genuinely likable bunch uniting the country at a time when it’s difficult to find anything universal in England.

After the euphoria of watching a victory with 60,000 people feeling the same exhausting emotions as you, a nasty little reminder of England’s divisions waited outside. A small cluster of people, with as many cameras as participants, held up an “All Lives Matter” banner as fans of both sides streamed out. The denigrating of Sterling and co. was met with disbelief by passing fans. This had been a unifying experience.

Football can be that. While there is no historic sporting rivalry between England and Denmark, the game, and the battle in the stands and on Wembley Way was fierce but friendly and offered a view of what this country can be. Rising above the bait, seeking alliance rather than aggression, choosing joy over anger. In the main, at least.

There’s every chance this, and possibly Sunday’s final against Italy will be isolated incidents, but they’re worth celebrating. Wednesday night was an outpouring of joy after a brutal time. It wasn’t perfect, masks were off, questions could be asked about whether the whole thing was legitimate, but that outpouring of communal emotion was something that’s been unobtainable of late.

As someone who has lived abroad for much of his adult life, patriotism doesn’t come easily to me. But, on Wednesday at Wembley, Gareth Southgate and his team made me feel genuine pride.

Source: DW