England will conquer the World (Cup) with Nike

The Premier League is the most beautiful, most fascinating and most modern, and that’s a fact. But it’s not the same for the England national team, and that’s a fact too. Even if the Premier League in a world class championship for spectacularity, organization and technical level, the Three Lions have chronically failed in every international tournament, even with some gaffes now and there. Like the last one last summer, when Roy Hodgson’s boys have been kicked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland.

These waverings in big competitions seemed to put in jeopardy the deal with Nike, that the England team subscribed in 2013, set to end in 2018 after the World Cup in Russia. But now it’s official, Wayne Rooney and teammates will wear the Swoosh in their international duties for a long time, as the agreement between the Football Association and Nike has been renewed until 2030. Not a casual year, because that summer will be celebrated the Centenary of the first World Cup, organized and won by Uruguay in 1930. And maybe FA, with this new economic potential from the Nike agreement, will aim to host that World Cup in the UK, where the history of football begun. But besides this hypothetical project, there are much more that are real. The Nike-FA partnership will contribute to sustaining football development all around England, especially the female one.

Besides a substantial annual amount, about 40 millions euros per year, Nike also provided for a series of bonuses and malus which will variate with England national team’s results in international tournaments. The new agreement seemed to make everyone happy and satisfied. For some years the Premier League has been a world class organization. Now it’s time to make the Three Lions world class too.