A rack of new England football shirts designed by Nike, featuring the controversial St George’s Cross, is displayed at a store in central London on March 22, 2024.
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LONDON – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday Nike It would be a mistake to “mess” with the design of the flag on England’s new jersey, as a controversy that began on social media expanded into the political realm.
New jerseys created by major American sportswear manufacturers unveiling English football on Monday ahead of this summer’s Euro 2024 fixtures. They feature a small version of the St George’s Cross – red lettering on a white background that appears on the English flag – in different shades of the collar, including purple and blue.
The design was criticized on social media by many who said the flag should not be changed, while others believed the debate was overblown. Some say the new flag is “woke,” a controversial term that often refers to something associated with socially progressive values. A large number of accounts on social media platform X shared the #BoycottNike hashtag.
Sunak said on Friday that he “prefers the original version”, the BBC reported.
“When it comes to our flags, we shouldn’t mess with them because they are a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they are perfect as they are,” he said.
On November 17, 2023, in London, England, England played Malta in the 2024 European Cup European qualifiers at Wembley Stadium. Spectators turned on their mobile phone torches and waited while waving England flags.
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Nike said in a statement: “We have been a proud partner of the Football Association since 2012 and we understand the significance and importance of St George’s Cross and have no intention of offending given its significance to England fans. “
“Together with the FA, the aim is to celebrate the heroes of 1966 and their achievements. The decoration on the cuffs is inspired by the training kit worn by England’s heroes in 1966, with a blue and red gradient with purple at the top. The colors on the back of the collar are also It embodies the interpretation of the flag.”
In the original post on X, the company called the changes to St. George’s Cross an “interesting update.”
UK opposition leader Keir Starmer also weighed in on the debate this week, saying the flag “doesn’t need to change”.
Starmer told The Sun: “I think they should reconsider that and change it back. I’m not even sure they can explain properly why they think they need to change it in the first place.”
Adult shirts retail for £84.99 ($107.23) to £124.99 on Nike’s website.
It’s not the first consumer company to face social media backlash in recent years. Bud Light has faced a backlash over its brief partnership with a transgender influencer, hurting parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev’s 2023 results and shocking companies.
Nike reported quarterly results on Thursday, showing better-than-expected growth in North America, but sales in China continued to slow.
german rival Adidas The German Football Association was dealt a blow this week when it announced it would switch the supplier of the national team’s jerseys to Nike from 2027, saying it offered a better deal.
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