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ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) – Everyone loves the winner, but the home of his national team by the English public exceeds the usual pride of athletic achievement.
For a country bitterly divided by the Brexit referendum as well as secular regional and clbad divisions, the trip of the national team to the semi-finals of the World Cup was a welcome relief from the political and political arguments. the rancor.
But this is not just a temporary explosion of patriotic fervor behind the flaws of society.
There is something about this young English team and its articulate manager, Gareth Southgate, who has created a real connection that has not been felt for a generation.
Much attention has been paid to Southgate itself which, in a country where few politicians enjoy great popularity, has received a universal endorsement rating.
"Southgate is a gentleman who uses old-fashioned language.He is polite and depreciates, but – and this is crucial – he is ambitious and prosperous," the Observer columnist told Reuters, Nick Cohen
"He is millions of miles away from the Boris Johnsons and Morgans Piers who fill our television screens. It comes from a better version of England that we have a habit of seeing, "he said.
The approach of Southgate, freshly released from the usual clichés of football management, however, has had an impact beyond his tone.
The last warm-up match of England before heading to Russia was not taking place at Wembley Stadium in London, but at Elland Road in Leeds United Yorkshire, Southgate explained that he wanted to get in touch with fans from the outside.
In a highly centralized country where media attention is focused on London, the current team is drawn from all corners of the country, with the starting line for the 2-0 win against Sweden with seven players from Northern England and just skipper Harry Kane born in the capital.
The team also features several Afro-Caribbean heritage players including Raheem Sterling who was born in Jamaica.
"The players come from the multiethnic working clbad, they look like the country we have become, and they, too, behave like admirable men, we are winning matches, and that is a welcome change. "said Cohen.
Success has seen many social media feeds that were up to recently full of partisan content around Brexit, picked up by memes about the England team and the ubiquitous song "Three Lions ".
At first glance, football seems to have healed part of the division caused by the referendum.
David Goodhart, whose book "The Road to Somewhere" examined the differences between city-dwellers and voters who focus on local community ties and traditional values - groups he calls " Anywheres "and" Somewheres "feel that the World Cup has had an impact.
"I think that everything that brings the country together as a good World Cup or the 2012 Olympic Games (of course different countries) is almost by definition an abyss at least for some time," he said [19659004] "But they can also reveal gulfs.We notice the few flags of England in London, especially in the central areas, compared to most of the rest of the country."
Recent England's failures have created an almost hostile aversion to the team. attitude of millionaire players who failed to deliver.
While the team has a large participation of the best Premier League clubs, with Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool well represented, many of the 23 have featured for lower division teams earlier in their career.
This tasting experience on the less glamorous side of the game seems to have had an impact on players' attitudes and behavior, which contrasts with some of the previous national teams.
"There is certainly no sense of entitlement you have received from the (Steven) Gerrard, (Frank) Lampard, (Wayne) Rooney," says Mike Shallcross, a fan and writer. English on men's health issues.
"You have the feeling that Southgate was part of the team when England broke into town, declared it favorite and crashed by playing those teams horribly. unbalanced and star-studded, and over-elaborate systems that they barely understand, he knows what pitfalls to avoid. "
Although there are accidental elements about the situation in which lies England – after all, Southgate became manager only after his predecessor Sam Allardyce was forced to leave following a recording of his comments on the transfer rules of the players. The popularity of England has been the result of clever public relations from the Football Association's communication team.
Southgate lowered expectations before the tournament, highlighting the youth and inexperience of his team, with the result that the public was ready to forgive and began to see the side almost as outsiders.
The national press, criticized by some in the past for putting too much pressure on the team and being overly critical, had better access than usual to players, many of whom were happy to share their back stories.
For Southgate, it's more than a good PR.
"Players also have a voice, they can influence young people, especially from where they come from, they can give them hope."
Report by Simon Evans; Editing by Hugh Lawson
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