Even though Thomas Tuchel had previously expressed his disapproval of the chants made by England fans against Keir Starmer, the Three Lions struggled to a 2-0 victory over Andorra, who are currently ranked 174th in the FIFA world rankings, at Villa Park this past weekend. Once again, politics made its way into the terraces.
The UK Prime Minister was the target of more taunts from parts of the Holte End during discussions about the current immigration laws, and some supporters were even seen hawking “stop the boats” flags prior to the World Cup qualifying match. Large segments of the audience could be heard yelling, “Keir Starmer is a w*****,” to the tune of The White Stripes’ 2003 hit song Seven Nation Army.
Declan Rice’s header and Christian Garcia’s own goal gave England a 2-0 victory on the pitch, but the team’s performance was far from ideal. Ahead of the main event next summer, some fans are already arguing over Tuchel’s replacement, but others appear more determined to turn the conversation away from football and into politics.
Thomas Tuchel on Chants Against Keir Starmer
Similar obscene chanting were heard during England’s victory over Andorra in the rematch back in June, which is when the incident occurred. They might be head-singing along to the song “Give It Up” by KC & The Sunshine Band: “Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na-na-na now, Starmer is a ****, is a ****, Starmer is a ****.”
“Keir Starmer is a w****r, is a w****r,” yelled supporters at RCDE Stadium, Espanyol’s stadium that served as Andorra’s temporary home site because of its more contemporary amenities. Here are some chants from England fans during the most recent match:
Tuchel stated after the June game that he had not heard any of the songs in question, but he was rather explicit about his thoughts on the subject. The Daily Mail reports that he told reporters:
“It is unacceptable if it occurred. However, I didn’t hear any derogatory shouts or songs.
Under Tuchel’s leadership, the Three Lions have won four of their last five games; their lone setback occurred in June when they lost 3-1 to Senegal at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground. They will go to Serbia on Tuesday night for their next match, which is likely to be their most difficult test to far.
Although Serbian fandom is among the best in the world, it is unlikely that any English voices will be heard inside the Rajko Mitic Stadium, therefore it is considered that a more thrilling style of football would be required to divert supporters’ attention from politics.
xz
