Jurgen Klopp walked out of a World Cup interview after being questioned about the racism controversy surrounding fellow German Bastian Schweinsteiger. The former Liverpool boss, serving as a pundit for Magenta TV in the US, was pressed by a journalist to address Schweinsteiger's remarks about Ivory Coast's style of play, which have been widely criticized as racist.
Klopp Ends Interview Abruptly
When approached by a German journalist, Klopp quickly terminated the interview and walked away. Speaking to DW Sports, he said: "And now you want to carry on this subject. No, no, I have no chance, I have no chance to answer this question. Everybody likes it, so you bring me into this situation. It's not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject. I don't even know what is appropriate to say."
He added: "For African people it's one thing, for other people it's another thing, and I'm not here. Thank god I thought nobody asked me about that. You found a moment and surprisingly you are German. That surprised me so much. Thank you very much." Klopp then departed as journalists protested, with many heard saying "no, no."
Schweinsteiger's Controversial Comments
Schweinsteiger, 41, a World Cup winner and former Manchester United and Bayern Munich star, works as a pundit for German broadcaster ARD. During Germany's 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, he described their football as "African football," calling it "a bit unorthodox sometimes, a bit wild, not quite as tactical." He also said Julian Nagelsmann's team must be "prepared for it to be unpredictable at times."
The remarks sparked a major discussion in Germany, with many accusing Schweinsteiger of perpetuating racist stereotypes. Phillip Awounou, a black sports journalist and author, wrote in Spiegel: "Behind attributions like 'wild' and 'unpredictable' are stereotypes which are older than football and which have racist, colonial roots. In the past, Black people of African heritage were stigmatized as uncivilized ('wild'), different ('unorthodox') and potentially dangerous ('unpredictable')."
Public Reaction and Defense
Sports content creator Patrick Schnitzler told his 50,000 Instagram followers: "These are racist stereotypes," citing research showing commentators focus more on Black players' physical traits. However, Awounou clarified: "That's simply wrong. Regardless of his problematic remarks, Schweinsteiger is absolutely not a racist and shouldn't be labelled as such."
After the match, Schweinsteiger posted on social media: "Ivory Coast were the difficult opponent we expected and showed their technical quality and physicality."
