According the Economist, the match was not only about football, but also about politics. According to the article, the most striking thing about the Italian team was that there were no players of color on the field. According to the description of the Economist, this was "criticized by many people" on social media, especially in France, Neokohn .
According to the article, some people also did not like the fact that the Italian team allowed the players to kneel before matches only if they wanted to, or if the opponent specifically asked for it.
According to the Economist, almost every country has learned that "diversity" brings success in sports. The article acknowledges that while there is no immigrant community in Italy as old as further west, they too have had successful athletes of African descent in recent years. According to the article, there are no more black athletes because the Italian right wing is racist.
The author points out that immigrants in Italy can only apply for citizenship over the age of 18, so they also suffer a disadvantage in sports.
The article describes how right-wing politicians shared a picture of the winning team's smiling players, but there was not a single black face on it.
Cover image: EPA/Michael Regan / POOL
