Why did the England players put medals on and then take them off?

[Opalfeet]

I'm intrigued 🤔

I’d have kept it on and been proud that I came 2nd.

I was really disappointed when I saw them take them off, it definitely stunk of sore losers.
They’re role models for many young kids and they should have waited until after they were off camera but a few deliberately did it in front of the camera.

@Opalfeet

It's just disrespectful. They should show they are the bigger men by keeping them on.

Is this the first time you've seen a football match? An important one? All teams tend to remove the runners up medal as soon as they've received it. This is the first time you've seen England doing it because it's the first time you've seen them in a final. Unless it's the first time you've ever watched football, it's not the first time you've seen it.

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I’m sure they don’t lob it in the dressing room bin.

They just don’t want to parade around with it.

Nah, the sheer pace at which the medals were removed suggests the medals are now in the bin!

@ssd
I love football

So, after weeks of raising them up, the pulling them down has started already.
Didn’t take long, did it?

@Geamhradh yeah it's the first time I've noticed, is that so bad?

My observation would have been the same, I think it's discourteous, bad sportsmanship and disrespectful. What is your point, do I have to be some professional sports watcher/supporter to make comment?

@Horehound- they didn’t ’act like babies’ at all; their maturity shone through throughout.

I mean if my three year old did such a thing with his runner up medal, I'd tell him to put it back on and try and act more grown up about it. Be proud he got that far. 🤷‍♀️

Because they are perceived as ‘losers’ medals’. Losing players take off their medals after all big finals. It’s just what happens in football, rugby etc etc. Even the NZ cricket team who are regarded as paragons of sportsmanship removed their losers medals after the 2019 World Cup final.

As a sports fan, one of the biggest frustrations of these big occasions is non-sports fans who don’t understand what they are watching!

I think some people here are missing something.... Yes, the players are paid a lot and yes they want to win for themselve, but most of them want to win for their country. They are playing for their nation and they cannot have failed to feel the weight of expectation on their shoulders. The media and everyone else has focussed the whole of England on this game heralding it as the shining light in our time of shitness. The need for 'good news' has never been greater, and the responsibility of delivering that lay with these young men.

I expect that most of them didn't want to wear their medals as they will (currently) be thinking that they have let everyone down. They will feel a bit of a fraud for wearing medals when they didn't deliver what was asked of them. So yes, it might seem rude/childish, I think that the sentiment behind not wearing the medals probably runs deeper than that.

@GirlAloud well if this is the norm in sport, it's deeply worrying. I still say it's disrespectful.

So, after weeks of raising them up, the pulling them down has started already.

I think they played brilliantly and should be so proud of themselves for doing such a great job. Which was why it was so disappointing to see them removing their medals when they’d done so well.
Should we not be celebrating that they came 2nd it’s such an achievement for England and the boost we needed!

I’d have been having a full on breakdown so I’m not prepared to criticise!

Poor Saka

They’re just upset. So close.

Show me somebody that calls them sore losers and I will show you somebody who has no experience of competitive sport at a decent level.

They took them off because they never wanted them in the first place. They turned up to win and they consider second place absolute failure.

Because they're spoilt shits and sore losers. It's very poor sportsmanship and they've really shown themselves up.

It's pathetic

I agree it was pretty off. I likened it to children showing off at sports day.

Oh FGS, leave them alone everyone. Honestly.

[quote Opalfeet]@GirlAloud well if this is the norm in sport, it's deeply worrying. I still say it's disrespectful.[/quote]
It's not the norm in sport. I have stood on many a podium at British and international level in my sport and even though I've not been overly amused with my 2nd or 3rd place, I have accepted it, accepted the judges scoring, stood on that podium and smiled for the picture with my flowers.

I've never torn it off immediately after being awarded it. Don't get me wrong it's probably at the bottom of my trophy and medal collection box somewhere but I'm old now and all my trophies are in boxes 🤣

@SlightlyJaded very well said.

I am proud of the whole team.

Well, if nobody wants a runners up medal they should just stop awarding them.
I thought England did very well to get to the final but they were beaten by the better team on the night. If the players don't want a reminder that they got as far as the final then don't give them one. It is really rude to take it off straight away. Churlish and childish.

I was pleased when some of them kept the medal on. They should be proud of being in the final.

@Normandy144

They do accept the medal - it gets put around their necks. It's pretty common to be honest. It's not being sore losers - they've congratulated Italy. Their professional sports people with natural competitive streaks they don't want a medal reminding them of the loss.

This 100%

They weren't disrespectful. They did accept the medals. If they'd all have flat out said "no, we don't want those", that would have been rude and that would have been them not accepting the medals.

I agree OP. I hate it when a game is decided on a penalty shoot-out, and I think they played very well. But it looks rude and petty to take off the medal you've been awarded. I'd admire them more if they waited till they were in the changing room.

@MargaretFraggle it was on observation. What do you mean leave them alone? They're all going back to their lovely pads and let's face it relatively easy lives. They'll get over it.