German soccer coach Julian Nagelsmann criticizes "racist" survey questioning sufficient White players on the national team.
A recent poll by German broadcaster ARD asked 1,304 randomly chosen people if they wanted more White players to represent the country at Euro 2024, a European Championship football tournament hosted by Germany from June 14 to July 14. The results showed that 21% of respondents wanted more White players.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann found this question outrageous and agreed with midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who called it racist on the day before. Nagelsmann said, "I see this in exactly the same way. This question is insane."
Nagelsmann pointed out that many people in Europe have had to leave their homes due to war, economic issues, or environmental disasters. He questioned why Germany would think about race at a time when it's doing well and should be focusing on welcoming people into the country. Some key players in the team are Ilkay Gundogan (captain, born to Turkish parents), Leroy Sane (Black), and Antonio Rudiger (Black).
Another question in the ARD survey was if it was a "pity that the current captain of the German national team has Turkish roots." Gundogan is indeed the team's captain.
Kimmich, when asked about the poll, called it "absolute nonsense" and "absolutely racist." He said, "I would really, really miss a lot of the players if they weren't here," and added, "This is a home European Championship, and it's about uniting the entire country, so it's absurd to ask such a question."
ARD did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
ARD said it commissioned the survey after their reporter was frequently asked about the team while making a documentary about diversity in football. CNN reported that the survey was conducted between 2-3 April, with both phone and online interviews. The station's sports director, Karl Valks, said they were "dismayed" by the results, which he also saw as "an expression of the social situation in Germany today."
In April 2023, German soccer authorities announced that they would redesign the number 4 on the national team's jerseys to avoid resembling the logo of the Nazi paramilitary units. CNN and BBC are both offline news organizations.
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Nagelsmann expressed his disagreement with the survey, stating, "I think it's absurd to bring up race in football at a time like this, especially when we have players like Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane, and Antonio Rudiger who contribute significantly to the team."During a match, coach Nagelsmann was seen passionately encouraging his team, shouting instructions about the game strategy, all while keeping an eye on the football field, demonstrating his commitment to his team and the sport.
