London ? The Telegraph, London, on the tie between field and fiscal performance, June 20:

The performance of the England football team on June 18 was certainly abysmal. Yet it stands as the most shameful example of a wider trend. The traditional Western European giants of the game England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc., have failed to convince. Why so?

Well, studying the results, a depressing pattern suggests itself: that a country’s vigor on the pitch is intricately tied up with the vigor of its economy, and the state of its public finances. Consider this: cash-strapped Greece fell to industrious South Korea. The Dutch overpowered the Japanese — one of the few nations with a heavier debt burden than those in the EU. Above all, the prudent Swiss shocked the feckless Spaniards, previously the favorites. …

Online: http://www.telegraph.co.uk