What English Soccer Says About Immigration and Brexit
The finalists in two top tournaments are from England. The coaches and many players aren’t.
Tottenham’s Lucas Moura celebrating in Amsterdam.
Photographer: Peter Dejong/AP Photo
Three years after the U.K. voted to part with the European Union over concerns about an influx of newcomers, the nation’s soccer squads offer an object lesson in the benefits of immigration: The four finalists in the two top European club competitions are English, but they’re all coached by foreigners, and only one goal in the crunch games that got them to the championship matches was scored by a Brit.
When Brazilian striker Lucas Moura eliminated Ajax with a shot into the bottom right corner seconds before the final whistle in Amsterdam on May 8, he ensured a place for Tottenham Hotspur in the annual Champions League showpiece. A day earlier, Liverpool overcame a three-goal deficit from a previous match (each team hosts a game, and the side with the best combined score advances), beating Barcelona 4-0 to take the other spot. And on May 9, Arsenal and Chelsea defeated continental rivals to make their way into the final of the Europa League, the region’s No. 2 club competition. After Liverpool’s win, Prime Minister Theresa May told Parliament the match proves “that when everyone says it’s all over, that your European opposition have got you beat, the clock is ticking down, it’s time to concede defeat, actually we can still secure success if everyone comes together.”