The "unsatisfactory survey" disrupts the DFB's serenity.
Controversy arises prior to the home European Championship as a survey illustrates racism against German national football players. National coach Julian Nagelsmann and his deputy Joshua Kimmich express their outrage. However, their criticism may not hit the target completely.
To everyone's surprise, the German national football team was on its way to the home European Championship with ease, without any drama or significant political issues. That was until the weekend just passed. A survey was released with shocking findings: 21% of respondents preferred a "whiter" national team, and 17% regretted that DFB captain Ilkay Gündoğan has Turkish roots.
Both Nagelsmann and Kimmich were displeased with the results and the questions asked in the survey. "The question itself was absurd," Nagelsmann said at a press conference held in Herzogenaurach. He hopes he never has to read such a "crap survey" again. Nagelsmann was appalled that such questions were posed and that people still answered them, considering this is a football event and not a cultural discussion.
"We go on vacation to experience different cultures. And then we complain when those cultures come here," Nagelsmann continued. "I don't have to go on vacation to experience other cultures; I can stay here." Instead, he sees the positive side of being exposed to diverse cultures and working together towards a common goal - such as the European Championships.
While some players' omission from the national team prompted minor debates, there had been minimal controversy in the German team's training camp in Thuringia. The intention was to avoid the political issues as seen in previous tournaments. Association representatives would handle any political questions, allowing players to focus on the sporting aspect. The players, like Joshua Kimmich, can still express themselves if they wish. This has worked well, as evidenced by their response to the pink away kit.
However, this time, the focus is on the survey unveiling racist attitudes. In past tournaments, the team faced controversy. Before the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a photo of Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündoğan with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sparked a stir. The previous European Championship in 2021 had coronavirus debates. And the World Cup in Qatar was so politically sensitive that soccer took a backseat.
Kimmich, a Bayern star, shared his thoughts on this Saturday. He deemed it "complete nonsense" that they should want a "whiter" national team. He would "miss many players if they weren't here." Kimmich regarded the question as "absolutely racist." In his opinion, it was also "counterproductive." The German national team's objective for the home European Championship is "to unite the entire country and achieve something together." They aim to "gain the support of all people in Germany."
Kimmich represents the perspective of a footballer eagerly anticipating a thrilling major event and seeking some peace and tranquility. While the criticism of the question and its formulation is fair, the real issue lies in the result: racism. Unfortunate as it is, these findings are not surprising. The U17 world champions were targeted with racist abuse, and the U21 team experienced it before them. This is not unique to football, as a study by the Mitte institute of the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation reports that 12% of Germans hold right-wing views.
Interestingly, the question mentioned in the survey was not randomly chosen. The context was provided by an ARD documentary. In "Einigkeit und Recht und Vielfalt," journalist Philipp Awounou showcases the increasingly multicultural German national team after "Summer Fairy Tale." Awounou encounters the same opinion expressed in the survey that the national team should be "whiter" again. The WDR clarified that they wanted to measure the prevalence of this attitude in the population. An encouraging 66% of respondents acknowledge that it's fine for many national players to have a migration background.
The survey has since overshadowed the rest of the documentary, which is filled with challenging questions and emotional moments. Former national player Gerald Asamoah recounts the racist abuse he experienced in the 1990s, former footballer Tugbal Tekkal discusses how football helped her assimilate into the majority society, and current national player Jonathan Tah shares his experiences with racism.
The main query is what will emerge from the upcoming debate. The matter of inherent racism still lingers on, even with the European Championship set to kick off in a matter of days. During a recent event, Kimmich mentioned that the survey topic was not a significant issue within the squad. Next on the agenda is something else entirely. Tonight, Germany takes on Ukraine at Max-Morlock Stadium in Nuremberg. Chancellor Scholz will be in attendance. What's more, this fixture marks the first test since the thrilling March matches which brought victories against France and the Netherlands. If Germany's national team loses, it's likely to trigger more sports-related issues.
