The controversy between Germany’s far-right AfD party and Germany national team head coach Jürgen Klopp continues. At the centre of the dispute are Klopp’s public criticisms of the AfD’s ideas, values and policies.
AfD deputy leader Kay Gottschalk wrote on social media following Germany’s defeat to Greece: “Certain virtues and the spirit of teamwork are cultural values that develop over centuries and are shaped by shared historical experiences.”
With these remarks, Gottschalk drew a comparison between the German national team of 1990 and the current squad. While the 1990 team consisted entirely of white players, Klopp’s current squad includes eight Black players.
Klopp responded to Gottschalk’s remarks at a press conference in Munich:
“Is Germany not white enough? Complete nonsense. I won’t comment on it. There is absolutely no reason to take these people seriously. You won’t hear my opinion on this. In everyday life, I have little time for nonsense, and even less on social media.”
Klopp made the remarks ahead of Germany’s UEFA Nations League match against Serbia, which Germany won yesterday.