Ivory Coast reaches World Cup Round of 16 – Coach Faé criticizes Schweinsteiger's comments as possibly racist

Schweinsteiger's comments in full

The Ivorian coach Emerse Faé responded to questions about the comments after his team's successful qualification for the knockout round of the World Cup. He expressed disappointment about the commentary and chose clear words: "Das ist traurig. Wir könnten es rassistisch nennen. Als ich seinen Kommentar gehört habe, war ich enttäuscht. Ich habe keine andere Möglichkeit, als das zu akzeptieren," Faé is quoted as saying. Ivory Coast had qualified for the next round as a group-stage opponent of Germany.

Faé reacts after Round of 16 qualification

Jürgen Klopp, long-time coach of Borussia Dortmund, also addressed the incident on the sidelines of a media event in New York. In a Deutsche Welle video, Klopp described the topic as serious and admitted that he did not know an appropriate response. "Und ich weiß nicht einmal, was man Angemessenes sagen sollte. Für afrikanische Menschen ist es eine Sache, für andere Menschen ist es eine andere," Klopp said, according to reports.

Klopp reserved in New York

Klopp's reaction appeared irritated when he was asked about Schweinsteiger's comments. The former Bundesliga coach emphasized that he could not ultimately assess the dimension of the statements. Klopp visibly held back from offering a clear evaluation of the comments made by his former protégé Schweinsteiger.

Schweinsteiger himself works after his active career as a TV expert for ARD and commentates on Football World Cup matches there. In this role, he had analyzed Ivory Coast's matches and addressed the African team's style of play. His formulations had already drawn criticism a few days earlier, before Faé piled on after the Round of 16 qualification.

Background: Stereotypes about African football

The debate throws a spotlight on the handling of stereotypes about African football in the context of major international tournaments. Faé had made clear that he did not want to leave the comments unchallenged. At the same time, he emphasized that his team wanted to convince on a sporting level and focus on the next match.

Overall, the controversy shows how sensitively comments about the playing styles of different football cultures can be perceived, especially when they are made by prominent experts in front of an audience of millions. The reaction from the Ivorian camp was correspondingly clear but factual, without departing from the sporting level.

The incident occurred in the context of the ongoing Football World Cup, which is being held in the USA among other locations. Media events like the one in New York regularly provide opportunities for coaches and officials to comment on current topics outside their own tournament events. The involved parties – Faé, Klopp, and Schweinsteiger – are all well-known figures in international football.