R E M O N T A D AR E MR E M O N TO N T A D AA D Asince 2026.the entertainment magFOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISHFOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISHFOOTBALL CULTUREFOOTBALL CULTUREFOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISHENGLISHENGLISHENGLISHENGLISHFOOTBALL CULTUREFOOTBALL CULTUREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN · STORY + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN · STORY + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN · STORY + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN · STORY + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN · STORY + MORE

R E M O N T A D AR E MR E M O N TO N T A D AA D Asince 2026.the entertainment magTHE STORYTELLERSENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE ISSUE 2 8–14 SEPTEMBER 2026 ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE ISSUE 4ISSUE 4 8–14 SEPTEMBER 20268–14 SEPTEMBER 2026 ISSUE 4 8–14 SEPTEMBER 2026THE STORYTELLERSTHE STORYTELLERSTHE STORYTELLERSTHE STORYTELLERSTHE STORYTELLERSTHE STORYTELLTHE STORYTELLERSERS0404040404 THE STORYTELLERSTHE STORYTELLERSTHE STORYTELLERS• THE GUARDIAN • 8 OCT 2001BECKHAM THE SAVING GRACE AMID THE MESS• DAYLY MIRROR • 1 JUL 199810 HEROIC LIONS, ONE STUPID BOY ENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN + MOREENGLAND · MEDIA · HYPE · HERO · CRITICISM · VILLAIN + MORE

THE GAME BEHIND THE GAMETHE GAME BEHIND THE GAMEFootball media turns clubs, players and matches into narratives.06.06.THE NEXT BIG THINGTHE NEXT BIG THINGMedia hype turns young players into promises of future greatness.08.08.FEATURESTHE IDENTITY CYCLETHE IDENTITY CYCLE16.16.THE LAST WORDABOUT USABOUT US17.17. CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSTHE MAN THEY BLAMEDTHE MAN THEY BLAMEDBlame narratives reduce complex defeats to one player’s decisive mistake.10.10.WHEN IS IT COMING HOME?WHEN IS IT COMING HOME?Media turns England’s footballing memories into expectations passed between generations.12.12.THE MEDIA GAMETHE MEDIA GAME04.04.UPFRONTTHE STORY NEVER STOPSTHE STORY NEVER STOPSEvery match becomes content, feeding a media cycle without end.14.14.

THE MEDIATHE MEDIA GAMEGAME THE MEDIA GAME THE MEDIATHE MEDIA GAMEGAMEThe match has a final whistle, but its story doesn't. There are only 90 official minutes in a game. But around them, thousands of stories can be created. The match has a final whistle, but its story doesn't. There are only 90 official minutes in a game. But around them, thousands of stories can be created.A match becomes a story. A player becomes a character. A young talent becomes a promise. A mistake becomes a headline. A match becomes a story. A player becomes a character. A young talent becomes a promise. A mistake becomes a headline.ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREUPFRONT 4 REMONTADA ISSUE 04

What happens on the pitch is not everything about English football. Around the game, another game is constantly being played — not by the players, but by the media. The English media controls what matters, frames what happened, gives people names and narratives, and keeps the story moving long after the match. What happens on the pitch is not everything about English football. Around the game, another game is constantly being played — not by the players, but by the media. The English media controls what matters, frames what happened, gives people names and narratives, and keeps the story moving long after the match.

STILL BITTER? TAKE YOUR FURY OUT ON OUR DAVID BECKHAM DARTBOARD “Becks’ red-card shame was a gruelling career low” “Still bitter, angry, dejected, looking for someone to blame”AAAAAfootball match can contain ninety minutes, twenty-two players, hundreds of touches, missed chances and tactical decisions. Yet, once the final whistle blows, that is when football becomes a narrative somewhere between the pitch and the page. A story may therefore be fabricated with The 1998 World Cup match between England and Argentina offers a clear example. Although the game included Michael Owen’s goal and England’s eventual penalty defeat, David Beckham’s red card became a major frame for the aftermath. The Guardian later described it as “The Event”. The same match could therefore be retold through individual brilliance, tactical analysis or national disappointment. Instead, one moment came to define its meaning.different components: a headline selecting the moment, a photograph freezing a face, a caption giving it meaning, and the opening paragraph deciding where the reader should look. Accordingly, one goal can be framed as brilliance, whereas another, as a mistake. The match itself inherently has many details, and the media then simply select a hero, a controversy or a failure, then give the event a plot and a protagonist. by Carol Cooper on shots February 25, 2020 by The Mirror Friday, July 3, 1998 6 REMONTADA ISSUE 04 ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREFEATURETHETHE GAMEGAME THE GAMEBEHINDBEHIND THE GAMETHE GAME BEHIND THE GAME BEHINDBEHIND THE GAMETHE GAME

55 YEARS OF HURT NEVER STOPPED USRAHEEMING!CAN MONEY BUY SUCCESS?Likewise, the same storytelling can turn a club into a character. A team may be described as a giant, a fallen giant, an underdog, a sleeping giant, a crisis club, a dynasty or a money club. Manchester City, for example, has made a striking move from a local club outside the traditional elite to a “sleeping giant”, then to a “money club” after the 2008 takeover, and eventually to a new “footballing power”. Through headlines, metaphors, historical reference and pundit narratives, a club acquires an identity that can be reused or shifted through seasons. The camera then moves closer, from the club to the player. Footballers can also be “cast” intomedia roles such as the star, the genius, the prodigy, the leader, the flop, the saviour or the future captain. Around Euro 2016, coverage of Raheem Sterling often focused beyond his performances: on his lifestyle, appearance and private life. Later analysis, on the other hand, described how he had become a convenient target for criticism extending beyond football. In other words, continued success can label players as “world class” or “generational talent”, whereas a poor performance may be attached to a much harsher characterisation: “flop”, “bottler” or “problem”, explicitly portraying how individuals can become subjects of narratives that extend far beyond a single match.Eventually, the player can become something even larger: a national symbol. “England’s future”, “the face of English football” and “the next Beckham” turn an individual into the representative of a generation. The game happens once, but its story is told over and over again.by THE SUN Wednesday, June 30, 2021 “the transformational power of hard cash” “newly minted richest football club in the world” by Barney Ronay on The Guardian, Wednesday, September 3, 2008 7 FEATURE ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 04

This vocabulary feeds into a broader editorial pattern across sports newsrooms: the relentless search for an heir. Outlets such as The Daily Mail and BBC Sport regularly frame young prospects in terms of succession, seeking the “next Beckham”, “next Gerrard” or “next Rooney”. Examining how the press covered Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling a decade ago, or Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden today, reveals a familiar media pattern. These comparisons are rarely based solely on shared tactical roles; rather, succession offers commentators a ready-made storyline, linking nostalgic national memories to the daily news cycle.performance, they are doing far more than reporting on a match. In sports journalism, these descriptors are rarely neutral assessments of current form; they function as narrative tools. When outlets such as BBC Sport apply this vocabulary to a young player, the focus shifts from analysing a performance to shaping future expectations. The label ceases merely to describe reality and begins to influence how audiences interpret every subsequent pass.THE NEXT BIG THINGWhen broadcasters and newspaper editors attach labels such as “wonderkid”, “generational talent” or “world-class” to a teenager after a single standoutby Barney Ronay on The Guardian Sunday, September 10, 2017Renato Sanches, the invisible wonderkid, goes from celebrity to the LibertyMK Dons' Dele Alli has the makings of next Steven Gerrardby Chris Osborne on BBC Sport September 19, 20148 REMONTADA ISSUE 04 ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREFEATURE

Nowhere is this manufactured expectation clearer than in the media trajectory of Jude Bellingham. Ahead of Euro 2024, BBC Sport presented him as England’s star “who writes his own scripts”, elevating his status from exceptional midfielder to national saviour. Yet, as the tournament unfolded, that heroic narrative began to shift. Following the final, The Guardian reported on Bellingham’s post-tournament frustration in “‘A bit like the scapegoat’”, detailing how he felt the press had turned him into a target for public frustration. This sharp reversal reveals the volatility of modern sports journalism: when outlets stop describing what a player is doing today and start forecasting who they are destined to become, praise can quickly harden into a heavy burden.PEAK MARKET VALUEThis constant domestic spotlight raises a persistent question: does intense media attention inflate the perceived value of English talent? A study published in Applied Economics, entitled “Are English football players overvalued?”, provides empirical evidence that English players command a distinct premium in transfer fees and wages, part of which cannot be explained by performance data alone. While academic research identifies this market valuation gap, whether extensive media coverage directly drives up transfer fees remains an open question. Nevertheless, relentless press coverage undoubtedly raises a player’s public profile, placing media visibility at the intersection of cultural hype and market dynamics.€ 160M€ 150M€ 130M€ 90M€ 90M€ 100MRAHEEM STERLINGBUKAYO SAKACOLE PALMERSON HEUNG-MINRAPHINHAFERMIN LOPEZwingerwingerAttacking MidfilderwingerwingerAttacking MidfilderENGLISH PLAYERSINTERNATIONAL COUNTERPARTSPeak estimated market value · Transfermarkt · not transfer fees9 FEATURE ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 04

From hero to culprit and back, the English media can turn on a player as quickly as it once celebrated him. From hero to culprit and back, the English media can turn on a player as quickly as it once celebrated him. From hero to culprit and back, the English media can turn on a player as quickly as it once celebrated him.THE MAN THEY BLAMED THE MANTHE MAN THEY BLAMEDTHEY BLAMEDBBBBBeyond the hype created to make a target, there’s a story written to find a public culprit to blame after a disappointing result. Right beforethe clash between England and Argentina in 1998, The Mirror used the headlines “8PM TONIGHT: PAYBACK TIME” to tellreaders that England would defeat their opponent. After the failure in that game, “10 HEROIC LIONS, ONE STUPID BOY” - they found their culprit - Beckham - took all responsibility. According to FIFA’s summary and Opta analysis, the red card sending him off undeniably hurt the team, but multiple failings were contributing to that loss: Sol Campbell’s header was controversially ruled out; The failed decision of David Batty on the penalty shootout; And the lack of prior World Cup experience shown in the high-stakes moments. Nevertheless, for a long time after that, the English media kept making Beckham the scapegoat, writing thousands of headlines that blamed him for what prevented them from movingforward, driving fans to focus on him rather than the collective shortcomings. 10 ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREFEATURE

Before the France ‘98 tournament, David Beckham was a highly visible young star, with his football image tied to celebrity. After the media crisis of the red card, his visibility unintentionally made him an easy culprit for national blame. However, in 2001, that young culprit scored the last-minute free-kick goal against Greece to lead England to the 2002 World Cup. The Guardian gave him a headline: “the saving grace amid the mess”, praising Becks as a true captain of England, eliminating the public stigma he shouldered, while criticising the team’s performance. That shift - from a promised rising star to a national culprit, to a heroic saviour - illustrates how readily the English media can recast a player’s public identity as the target of its changing narratives.Beckham’s situation was a clear case study of how the English media still creates multiple narratives around one matter. “He had a poor game” describes a performance. “He is a bottler” turns that performance into an identity. The grey zone between these two descriptions is where English media turns the criticism into blame. The red card was a legitimate object of criticism; its real purpose was to conceal a bigger failure by targeting an individual in public.Beckham the saving grace amid the messby David Lacey on The Guardian Monday, October 8, 2001“... England will head for the 2002 World Cup led by one of the best free-kick specialists...” 11 FEATURE ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 04

WHEN IS IT COMING HOME?The timeless memory of 1966 and the refrain “It’s Coming Home” give each new generation a story of inheritance. English football media repeatedly portrays England as a nation on the‘The history boys’: joy unconfined as papers celebrate England’s victorybrink of fulfilling its promise. The question is how that expectation is sustained over decades. THE ENGLAND THEY KEEP WRITING It’s been sixty years of waiting to take football home again. The English media keeps that extreme expectation by claiming to the world that they are the top team favoured to be the champion. Yet since Euro ’96, England’s men have finished runners-up at two Euros and third at the 2026 World Cup, not winning another major tournament. The gap between the team’s record and its media image can indicate the pressure that the English media creates for multiple generations of national players. Before the 2020 Euro final, numerous headlines revived 1966. As The Guardian’s summary: ‘The history boys’: joy unconfined as papers celebrate England’s victory - showing that footballers then had to match the ‘immortals of 1966’ after reaching their first final for 55 years. This event clearly showed how the English media set a particular victory in the past as a standard measure to judge later teams.by Martin Farrer on The Guardian Thursday, July 8, 2021 REMONTADA ISSUE 04 FEATURE 12 THE ENGLAND THEY KEEP WRITING

Jude Bellingham can be seen as a contemporary heir to that expectation. Before the 2026 World Cup, Daily Mail writer Craig Hope ran the headline: “LEAVE JUDE AT HOME” to oppose the decision to call this star for the World Cup, portraying Jude as a “divisive soloist” whose behaviour threatened squad harmony.Bellingham then played a key role in England’s third- place finish at the World Cup with his excellent performance; all criticisms earlier turned to praise and applause. One more time, this “golden boy” is expected to be the new leader. Placed side by side for contrast, it is easy to realise how quickly the media can recast a supposed heir as a question mark, then a national asset. Will he become the heir to 1966, or the latest “new Gascoigne” or “new Beckham” – carrying the promise of national glory until it passes to the next generation?THE EXPECTATION MACHINE Since Euro ’96, promises of “taking football home” have followed many “golden generations” of England. Repeated keywords in headlines - next generation, future leaders, and this could be the one - have appeared, bringing the pressure onto young footballers’ shoulders, bestowing on them the heir role to take over their fantastic promise even before they have made their own mark. That long- chapter story has moved from the 1990s of Paul Gascoigne, the early 2000s of Beckham, the through the young 2017/2018 of Harry Kane, to today’s Bellingham generation. From a national glorious promise, it put on their shoulders an unexpected burden, preventing them from reaching the true glory for England. THE STORY OF A CONTEMPORARY HEIR THE EXPECTATION MACHINE

The manager is actually not very happy. He said he was disappointed with the performance.Ya, well ... Whatever.THE STORY NEVER STOPSEngland’s victory over Norway at the 2026 World Cup should have been a moment of celebration. With Jude Bellingham scoringIn the post-match interview, when a reporter brings up Tuchel’s criticism of the team’s performance, Jude responds with a frustrated “Whatever” after 120 minutes of football. The remark is brief, but it is quickly connected to earlier speculation about his relationship with Tuchel. This is where media intervention matters: rather than simply asking what happened, an interviewer can rephrase a comment in a way that suggests conflict, giving audiences a more controversial version of the original exchange.twice, the win was all the more memorable. Yet, alongside that glorious victory comes Thomas Tuchel’s criticism of the team’s performance. Through the way the post-match interview was framed, a simple exchange was given room to become a story about tension within the England camp. Despite England’s strong form, the national media once again risked undermining their own team by stirring up unnecessary tension.The way we played, how we played, sloppy, lots of technical mistakes...TUCHELREPORTERJUDEENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREFEATURE

The story continued as different voices responded. Some reports focused on the supposed tension between Tuchel and Jude. Tuchel denied that there was a problem, while Harry Kane explained the reasoning behind the manager’s criticism. Joe Hart also questioned the way the reporter had approached Jude. Instead of closing the issue, however, each new reaction created another headline, another discussion, and another reason to revisit the original exchange.This is how the story never stops. A brief, frustrated response can be interpreted as a sign of conflict, attracting attention and prompting further reactions. As explanations and denials follow, they create even more opportunities for discussion. The cycle becomes: Match → Comment → Headline → Reaction → Debate → More Coverage. The media does not necessarily need a new event when the old one keeps generating content.by Andy Dunn Chief Sports Writer on The Mirror 12:30, July 13, 2026 Thomas Tuchel is getting best out of Jude Bellingham - but England tension is growing issue 15REMONTADA ISSUE 04For the players, the consequences extend beyond the pitch. Even in a positive moment for England, media coverage can redirect attention towards conflict and controversy. In the pursuit of attention, such narratives can create unnecessary pressure and distract from the team’s wider goal: succeeding for England.

THE LAST WORD ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE English football media shapes identities, turning players into heroes, culprits, and national symbols. Yet these labels constantly change, as public attention keeps the cycle alive. When the story overshadows the game, what are they really watching? THE IDENTITY CYCLE → NEXT: EP. 5 — THE DARK SIDE OF PASSION→ NEXT: EP. 5 — THE DARK SIDE OF PASSION→ NEXT: EP. 5 — THE DARK SIDE OF PASSION 16 REMONTADA ISSUE 04 Beyond the headlines and the spotlight lies a darker side of English football, where passion can divide, provoke, and turn against the very game it celebrates.

R E M O N T A D AR E MR E M O N TO N T A D AA D Asince 2026.the entertainment mag[1] - Farrer, M. (2021, July 8). ‘The history boys’: Joy unconfined as papers celebrate England’s victory. The Guardian. [2] - Ronay, B. (2008, September 2). Can money buy success? The Guardian. [3] - Lacey, D. (2001, October 8). Beckham the saving grace amid the mess. The Guardian. [4] - Ronay, B. (2020, May 25). World Cup questions: Why did gifted England not beat Argentina in 1998? The Guardian. [5] - The Mirror. (1998). 8PM tonight: Payback time. Daily Mirror. [6] - The Mirror. (1998). 10 HEROIC HEROES, ONE STOPID BOY. The Mirror. [7] - The Sun. (2021). 55 years of hurt never stopped us Raheeming! The Sun. [8] - Samuel Meade. (2026, July 14). Harry Kane points the blame after Jude Bellingham and Thomas Tuchel disagreement. The Mirror. [9] - Mediacorp Sports. (2026). “Whatever”: Bellingham shrugs off Tuchel’s England criticism | FIFA World Cup 2026™.. Youtube. [10] - Saint E., Stade G. G. (2020, April 22). #WorldCupAtHome: Argentina frustrate England again. FIFA. [11] - Matt Furniss. (2022, June 30). About That Game: England 2-2 Argentina (1998). Opta Analyst. [12] - Hart, J. (2024). Listen to the England players when they talk about pressure. BBC Sport. [13] - Carol Cooper. (2020, February 25). Beckham’s red card recollection. shots. [14] - Bell, A. R., Brooks, C., & Brooks, R. (2024). Are English football players overvalued? Applied Economics, 56(21), 2568–2584. [15] - Ronay, B. (2017, September 10). Renato Sanches, the invisible wonderkid, goes from celebrity to the Liberty. The Guardian. [16] - Osborne, C. (2014, September 19). MK Dons' Dele Alli has the makings of next Steven Gerrard. BBC Sport. [17] - Begley, E. (2024, June 16). Bellingham – the England hero who “writes his own scripts”. BBC Sport. [18] - Hunter, A. (2024, November 26). “A bit like the scapegoat”: Jude Bellingham reveals post-Euros pain. The Guardian. AI CONTRIBUTIONS CONTENT: Topic analysis · Episode/Issue arrangement LANGUAGE: Translation · Grammar checking · English editing RESEARCH: Keyword exploration · Source identification · Fact-checking VISUALS: Image restoration (restoring, enhancing & upscaling) ------------ All AI-assisted results were reviewed, edited and selectively incorporated by our team. The group takes responsibility for the final content, sources and design. This E-zine is developed as a 6-issue series, which explores English football beyond the pitch, showing it as a vivid cultural phenomenon deeply tied to identity, community, and social memory. Through the lens of British Cultural Studies, this series examines this sport as a “culture of belonging” that has the ability to connect individuals or even unite people across generations, regions, and local roots. Across these 6 issues, it also critically reflects on the modern landscape of English football, tracing how a kind of entertainment can turn intense passion into hostility, and how global commercialisation and modern media are creating a different appearance of football. Through a multi-layered point of view, the E-zine captures not only the enduring spirit that keeps this game continuing but also the dark sides behind its entertainment. LÊ GIA HUY 2457010073ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE NGUYỄN VIẾT VINH 2457010239 VŨ ĐÌNH HƯNG 2457010066 LÊ ĐỨC BÌNH 2457010029 Ideas / Concept Content Writer Content Editor Content Writer Translation Content Writer Research Content Writer Proofreading REFERENCES 17 THE LAST WORD ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 04

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