Why I so enjoyed watching England lose the Euro final

English arrogance combined with colonial history and denial are feeding schadenfreude across the world.

A devastating loss by the England team, following a campaign of overblown hype, has become a feature of modern international football competitions many around the world enjoy witnessing. In this respect, the Euro 2020 final did not disappoint. “It’s coming home,” English media and pundits had declared. Even weathermen had been conscripted into the national service, making comparisons with weather conditions during the 1966 World Cup final, the last time the England team had made it to the last game in a major international tournament. I watched the game on tenterhooks, initially despairing after England took an early lead and rejoicing when Italy equalised. The penalty shoot-out that decided the game was similarly fraught and it was not until the last kick of the match that I sighed with relief. Italy were champions, England convulsing in all-too-familiar self-humiliation.