In March, there was a considerable commotion following the reveal of Germany’s new change kit. It abandoned the customary black, green, and red hues for vibrant pink and purple. As per The Athletic, critics argued that it lacked national flag features, it wasn’t sufficiently German, and most harshly, it resembled an outfit appropriate for Barbie.
However, such criticism mattered little to the respected German figure, Uli Hoeness. In his view, the kit was irrelevant – all that mattered was the performance on the pitch.
Adidas, the kit’s creators, and the German football association maintained their stance, asserting that the design represented the new cohort of German football supporters and the country’s diversity. This resulted in accusations of the authorities being overly progressive, or “woke”.
The question is – how are sales? It appears Adidas and the association are flourishing; the pink kit has become the highest-selling away shirt in the national team’s history. As the saying goes, we are merely inhabitants of Barbie’s world.
Switching subjects, a tense exchange occurred between ITV and Declan Rice ahead of the England vs. Slovenia match. The health and stamina of the players were questioned to which Rice robustly defended.
One might ask, who questioned the English players’ fitness in the first place? Surprisingly, it was their very own manager.
Steve Clarke made the quote of the day, questioning the appointment of an Argentinian referee due to the language barrier, eloquently questioning why it wasn’t someone European.
The figure of the day: 17.
The performance of Scotland across their three Euro 2024 matches recorded an all-time low in tournament’s history. They only had as many shots on target as Northern Ireland’s 2016 performance, as OptaJoe’s analysis shows.
An exhilarating moment of top-notch Portuguese football saw Cristiano Ronaldo serve an assist instead of taking the goal himself. His unexpected pass led to Bruno Fernandes’ goal, a play which left Portugal’s coach, Roberto Martínez, in awe. He believes this exceptional display should be imitated in football academies globally.
The England team has reportedly been struggling with erratic air conditioning at their hotel, leading to either freezing or sweltering conditions, mirroring their fluctuating form on the pitch. This information was shared with the Sun by a ‘source’.
Former Scotland player, Paul Ritchie, was left utterly dumbfounded by Scotland’s inept performance against Hungary. He accused everyone, from coach Clarke to every player, of humiliating incompetence. The defeat left him experiencing an extreme low.
Contrary to this negativity, Declan Rice is pushing for encouragement going forward. He urges that young players like Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham, should be built up, encouraging them to believe they’re the best in the world. Reading such positivity, Rice believes, would be more beneficial to the players compared to constant criticism. Waiting for a response from James McClean.
Paul Scholes, meanwhile, is considering changes in the England squad but has chosen not to explain his reasoning, presumably to avoid upsetting certain parties.