This is not a “union jack” But On the eve of the final of the European Football Championship between Italy and England, a red St. George’s cross on the white field, waving from the English balcony and garden. Because Sunday evening fans will be “real” English, not one hundred percent British “British” or citizens of the United Kingdom, which unites Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A red cross on a white square symbolizing British nationalism, owned by about 59 million citizens.

In the north, English living within the borders of a nation ending in the wall of the Hadrians, where the Romans never go, starting in Scotland. Crossing that boundary, the flag changes and “Saltier”, the Scottish flag, the white cross on a blue field, coincides with Scotland, a different football team, with nothing for English fans to do. The flag of St. Andrew flies in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and all other Scottish cities, and the salt water is exactly that, not that of St. George.

In short, all the nationalities that mark present-day Great Britain, from 1606 onwards, with the blue field and red hands, the “Union Jack” who tried to unite, failed to soften the two flags of England and Scotland.

It is true that England shares a southern border with France, which borders Wales to the west, the Netherlands to the east, the North Sea and Scotland to the north. The most important part of the UK. Most of the 68 million British citizens live there, just over 5 million Scottish, just 3 million Welsh, and about 2 million Northern Irish.

However, it is equally true that nationalism, one of the major manifestations of football, is stronger in Britain today than ever before. Increased exponentially through Brexit. Since the UK seceded from the European Union five years ago, Wales has become more nationalist than it has been in the last 20 years.

Downing Street decorated with St. George’s crosses for European final – Reuters

When Oliver Dowden, the Minister of Culture in the government of Boris Johnson, decided at the end of March that the “Union Jack” should be the red dragon in the green and white field above the Welsh flag, the inhabitants of Wales competed. They point out that Union Jack, who speaks only of England and Scotland, does not even represent themselves with red hands in Jack’s blue field: their red dragon was outside, because when the United Kingdom began, Wales was an area in the 1700s. Insignificant, attached to England.

In short, football is bringing us back to that explosion in the United Kingdom, which, in the opinion of many, is only a matter of time.

Because the history of football makes us imagine that in a few years, the distinction between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland will become a reality if a nation finds itself and unites itself in football. Right now Northern Ireland and Belfast in the far north of the Irish island are its capital and, in fact, part of the European Union. Time. Year, as soon as the Catholic population becomes a majority.

For England, Scotland and Wales, one only has to re-read the history of football to imagine the future. The oldest England team in the world was formed with Scotland at the end of the 19th century. The first match between the two took place on November 30, 1872, with a return match hosted by the Scots on March 5, 1870: they are considered to be the first football matches in history. In short, the Scots have not supported the British for some time, and when the second comes on the field, St. George’s Cross is wandering, not Saltaire or Union Jaco.