Bastian Schweinsteiger says his remarks on Ivory Coast鈥檚 style at World Cup were not about people

Former Germany player Bastian Schweinsteiger said Friday he was talking about Ivory Coast鈥檚 style and not its players when he spoke last weekend about what his country’s national team could expect from its African opponent during their group match.

Schweinsteiger called it, 鈥淎 bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics” and added it was unpredictable. those comments on Thursday as being racist.

鈥淚 was talking about football, not about people,” Schweinsteiger said in a statement released by German broadcaster ARD, the same outlet on which he made the remarks. “It鈥檚 a football analysis. Nothing more and nothing less. … I certainly didn鈥檛 mean to offend anyone.鈥�

Some commentators criticized his comments as playing into racist stereotypes. Sports commentator Patrick Schnitzler wrote on of 鈥渞acist prejudices that we are all passing on unnoticed,鈥� and journalist Philipp Awounou, who is Black, wrote in magazine that the characterizations played on old racist tropes rooted in colonialism. Awounou said he did not think Schweinsteiger is racist.

Germany went on to on Saturday.

Fa茅 then led Ivory Coast into the World Cup knockout round for the first time in its history with a over Cura莽ao on Thursday. Fa茅 said after the game he hoped Schweinsteiger had made a 鈥渃lumsy statement that鈥檚 not necessarily reflective of what鈥檚 in his life.鈥�

鈥淲e could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade,鈥� Fa茅 said.

J眉rgen Klopp, who is working for broadcaster Magenta, when asked about Schweinsteiger鈥檚 comments by Deutsche Welle in a conversation with journalists in New York on Wednesday.

鈥淣ow you want to carry on the subject,鈥� Klopp responded before breaking off the interview. 鈥淣o, no, I have no chance. I have no chance to answer this question. Everybody likes it so you bring me in this situation. It鈥檚 not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject, and I don鈥檛 even know what is appropriate to say. For African people it鈥檚 one thing, for other people it鈥檚 another thing, and I鈥檓 not here.鈥�

ARD executive Axel Balkausky defended Schweinsteiger鈥檚 stance.

鈥淗e summarized his experiences and observations from recent games,鈥� said Balkausky, ARD鈥檚 sports coordinator. “It wasn鈥檛 about individual people but rather a footballing assessment. I can鈥檛 detect any form of racism in that or in his choice of words. If the coach of Ivory Coast, Emerse Fa茅, were to speak directly with Bastian, his suspicions would be quickly revised, I am sure of that. Perhaps an opportunity of that sort will arise in the course of the tournament.鈥�

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