Scottish newspaper sparks fury with England statement on eve of Euro 2024 final

A short editorial comment then followed which read: “Every summer they fill up your beaches. They drink all your beer. They make a mess of your plazas. They eat fried breakfasts all day instead of your wonderful food. They retire in your towns and sponge off your public services.”

The editorial concludes with a short message in Spanish, which says: “Ni siquiera se molestan en aprender el idioma!” That translates as reading: “They don’t even bother to learn the language!”

The frontpage sparked a furious reaction from fans on both sides of the border. One wrote: “As an English person living and working in Scotland and having done so for 14 years I actually find this quite xenophobic.

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“It wouldn’t be considered acceptable the other way around. A bit of banter is one thing but this is just unpleasant and unnecessary.”

Another added: “Do the Scottish not got on holiday to Spain, fill up beaches and eat fried breakfasts – or is this equal opportunity self hatred?” A third said: “Why are the Scottish always against the English? I’m always supportive of the Scottish, because Scotland is a lovely country, why not grow up and show you’re adults? Very sad.”

A fourth wrote: “Xenophobic cover. As a Scot, I totally reject this. You are insulting Scotland. It does not correspond to Scottish values at all. You should read Scottish Enlightenment philosophy. Scots have strongly contributed to English football with Alex Ferguson, etc. Shameful.”

While the Scottish media are clearly hoping for an English defeat, boss Gareth Southgate has issued a rallying cry to his team. He said: “We’d be bringing happiness to our nation, bringing credibility. I think we’ve brought credibility back to English football in terms of how we’re viewed around the world in recent years.

“To win a trophy would ultimately answer a lot of the questions that are still posed. For the group of players and staff, and also the players who have been with us for the past six or seven years, I’d be hugely proud of them. There are a lot of people who haven’t got enough credit and that would all come together in my head.”

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