https://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/07/02/what-do-soccer-championships-say-about-national-character/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 10:45:47 -0400<![CDATA[These days it causes less chagrin to come out as gay than to come out as a soccer fan. But &#8212; leaping out of the closet I was never in &#8212; I am a soccer fan. I avidly watch the English Premiere League when it&#8217;s in season and follow the international game too. I watched as much of the Euro championship last month as I could, cheering for underdog England to win (they didn&#8217;t, though they did manage to leave unbeaten). Underdog Italy beat England on penalties and then dismantled favored Germany in the semifinal. Commentators are out and about claiming that the Italian national team knocked off Germany because of some &#8220;deeper&#8221; national meaning or character. Michael Ledeen demolishes that idea.]]>Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:43:09 -0400<![CDATA[Bryan Preston]]>https://pjmedia.com/bryan-preston-1/2012/07/02/what-do-soccer-championships-say-about-national-character-n167574