Whatever colour they were, we’re all green with envy

SO in London on Tuesday, it’s the boys in green versus the boys who will be going green.

When I heard that Brazil were going to be unveiling a new green shirt at the World Cup finals this summer, I almost choked on my prawn sandwich. Okay, I thought, we’ve all had to learn to accept that the ruthless commercialisation of football demands clubs change their gear almost as often as players change their girlfriends, but please, Brazil changing colour… why that’s sacrilege on a par with the All-Blacks re-branding as the All-Whites.

But, like a high-diver belly-flopping into the pool, it turns out I’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. Brazil will be wearing green shirts alright but green as in that political party whose face currently glows red.