In the aftermath of the victory against Denmark which sent the country to the final, and after years of frustrations, the English press is full of praise for the Three Lions. These moments of jubilation do not, however, make us forget the threat of the Covid.
“Is this the best dream of all time?” This Thursday morning, the English press released its “souvenir editions”. Of Daily Star at Guardian, all the newspapers have their headlines for the England team and this historic moment, this final in their home at Wembley obtained at the expense of Denmark 2-1 on Wednesday night, fifty-five years after the victory of the Three Lions in the World Cup. Titles range from “English dream” at “finally”, and the inside pages, like those of the Daily Mail mention in large print: «It’s coming home» and “It really is.”
The Daily Express wrote the taste of this victory, “so soft”, after all these years of suffering and shows the images of the jubilation, which gripped London last night, including Leicester Square in the center of the capital, where thousands of Three Lions supporters flocked immediately after the final whistle. Testimonials from fans at the exit of Wembley: “It is certainly the most exciting time of my life” (the Daily Express) ; “It’s wonderful how the team has lifted the spirit of the nation after this terrible year of pandemic” (the Daily Mirror).
The second scorer, Harry Kane, criticized at the start of the competition for his silence in front of goals is particularly highlighted. The Daily Mail in fact his one, praise “Captain Harry sending us to a historic Wembley final”. The Guardian tells about the moment when everything changed. “At 10:11 pm, on a chilly night in a feverish, feverish Wembley, Harry Kane stepped forward.” Then: “Everyone will remember this match: the pub or the lounge in which they watched it, the parents, the siblings, the friends, the strangers with whom they saw it, what they were doing , thought when Kane’s shot pierced the net. “
The reference daily goes on to mention the English coach, Gareth Southgate, and the task he has entrusted to himself since his missed penalty in the Euro 96 final against Germany, already at Wembley. And takes a grain of salt to evoke the very contentious stroller between Raheem Sterling and two Danish players, which led to the penalty: “Sterling falls out after multiple contacts or maybe – depending on your point of view – none.”
On its one, the Guardian evokes the other hot news in the kingdom: the rise in power of the delta variant, and these 30,000 new daily cases, a first since January. On Wednesday evening, as will be the case on Sunday in the final, Wembley was packed with 66,000 people. While the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, still maintains the total lifting of the last health restrictions initially planned for July 19, the Daily Mail also relays photos of crowds of unmasked supporters, who risk spoiling the party.
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