Nike and FA criticized for launching England national team jersey with controversial design

London, Beritasatu.com – British football federation The Football Association (FA) has come under fire for launching a new jersey for the England national team ahead of Euro 2024 with a design change.

Launch Mirrors Sunday (24/3/2024), the latest England national team jersey was launched by Nike, but the design of the jersey became a hot topic of conversation because there was a change in the color of the St George's cross, triggering a strong reaction.

The FA and Nike defended the changes and claimed the move was an attempt to pay tribute to the England squad that won the 1966 World Cup.

“The new England 2024 Home Kit has a number of design elements paying tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team. The colored trim on the cuffs is also inspired by the training kit worn by England's heroes in 1966. The same colors are also featured in the design on the back of the collar.” said an FA spokesman.

Criticism came from one of the former England national team stars, Joe Cole. He accused the FA of being incompetent in dealing with player jersey issues.

Cole, who played 56 times for the Three Lions, also said the shirt was too expensive at £124.99 for fans compared to a standard shirt costing £84.99.

“I think there is a bit of incompetence because when you want good equipment at a reasonable price, the current prices are too expensive,” he said.

Meanwhile, England manager Gareth Southgate also spoke out regarding the controversy and said people did not think they should change the St George flag.

“If anything is changed, then it's not the St George flag! So I'm a little confused by that element. I think they can make a unique design but you can't say it's a St George flag,” he said.

Then, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labor Party leader Sir Keir Starmer also criticized the design.