A new Nike England-designed football shirt, complete with the controversial St George's Cross, is displayed on sale at a store in central London on March 22, 2024.
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LONDON – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday Nike It was wrong to 'tamper with' the design of the flag on the England football team's new shirt, with the controversy that began on social media expanding into the political sphere.
The newspaper “England Football” unveiled new kits created by the giant American sportswear company, on Monday, ahead of the Euro 2024 Championship this summer. It features a small version of the St George's Cross – which appears on the flag of England in red on a white background – on the collar in various shades including purple and blue.
The design was criticized by a large number of people on social media who said the national flag should not be changed, while others said the debate was overblown. Some said the new science was “woke,” a disputed term that generally means something associated with socially progressive values. The hashtag #BoycottNike was shared by a large number of accounts on the X social media platform.
Sunak said on Friday that he “prefers the original version,” the BBC reported.
“When it comes to our national flags, we should not mess with them because they are a source of our pride and identity, and they are perfect as they are,” he said.
A flag waits with an England flag as fans turn on their phone torches during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying match between England and Malta at Wembley Stadium on November 17, 2023 in London, United Kingdom.
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UK Opposition Leader Keir Starmer also took part in the debate this week, saying the science “doesn't need to change”.
Starmer told The Sun: “I think they need to reconsider this and change it again. I'm not even sure they can properly explain why they think they need to change it in the first place.”
In a post on George's Cross described it as a “fun update”.
The adult T-shirts will retail for between £84.99 ($107.23) and £124.99 on Nike's website.
It's not the first consumer company to face social media backlash in recent years. Companies were dismayed by an intense and long-term boycott of Bud Light beer over the brand's brief partnership with a transgender influencer, which impacted parent company AB InBev's 2023 results.
CNBC has contacted Nike for comment.
The company announced its quarterly results on Thursday, which showed better-than-expected growth in North America but a continued slowdown in China sales.
German competitor Adidas company Germany faced a blow this week when the German Football Association announced that it would change the supplier of the national team's shirts to Nike from 2027, saying it had offered a better deal.
