Robbie Williams addresses crumb incident in World Cup studio – and clears it up with a candy

During the conversation came the scene that was later widely shared online: a white crumb fell from Williams' mouth, landed on his microphone, and briefly stuck to his forehead after he had touched his head. Williams wiped the crumb away, but initially made no further comment on the mishap.

On social media, speculation quickly arose that it could have been an illegal substance. The rumors spread rapidly, and the video of the appearance went viral. Williams responded with a video message on Instagram, in which he apologized for the incident.

Speculation online

"Ich möchte mich nur für den Gegenstand entschuldigen, der … auf das Mikrofon gefallen ist. Ähm, das war wirklich sehr unprofessionell von mir", said Williams in the clip. At the same time, he said there was no cause for concern. "Aber ist schon in Ordnung, denn ich hatte noch ein paar mehr", he added, grinning, sticking out his tongue, and holding up two peppermint candies to the camera.

Williams also commented on the caption of his video: "Ich bin gerade aufgewacht und fühle mich … minzig." With this, he picked up the word "minty" from the English original, which is rendered in German with the echo of "minzig".

Candies instead of prohibited substances

In addition to the crumb topic, Williams – who is described as a big football fan – spoke with former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp about his possible role as head coach of the German national team. Klopp did not give a definitive confirmation. At the same time, Klopp made an unusual remark to Williams that drew laughter from Müller and Hummels.

Asked for more details about this remark, Williams said he had not noticed it. Klopp did not comment further on it. In another part of the conversation, Klopp said Williams had been "only in underwear" when they last met. "Als ich ihn das letzte Mal getroffen habe, trug er nur Unterwäsche", said Klopp.

Klopp, Williams, and the question of the German coach

During his appearance, Williams praised Klopp emphatically in his home country. "Wir lieben ihn. Er ist der Einzige, der (in England) überhaupt keine Probleme hatte. Wir lieben ihn", said Williams. Klopp enjoys a high reputation in England from his successful time at FC Liverpool.

At the end of his appearance, Williams wished Klopp all the best for the upcoming task. "Ich wünsche Dir alles Glück", he said. This brought the appearance to a close, which – due to the small mishap at the microphone and the subsequent overnight clarification – became one of the most discussed side stories of the World Cup final.