Euro 2024 / Red card to racism

An issue of “cleanliness” of the German national team arose in the host country of the European Championship 2024 a few days before the start of the tournament. It was prompted by a survey commissioned by the German public broadcaster ARD and according to which the respondents were asked to answer whether they would like to see more footballers with… white skin in the German national team. In particular, in the poll conducted among 1,304 participants by the German institute Sport-Inside, about 21% of the respondents said that they would prefer more white footballers to play in the German national team.

The investigation, related to the presence of immigrants in the German National Team, was carried out as part of the national broadcaster ARD’s documentary ‘Unity and Justice and Diversity’, which is to be shown on Wednesday 5 June. However, it caused many reactions, initially from the football player Joshua Kimmich, while yesterday the federal coach Julian Nagelsmann also answered clearly about the issue.

“It’s racist and I think we need to wake up. Many people in Europe have been forced to leave because of war, economic factors, environmental disasters, people who just want us to accept them,” Nagelsmann said, agreeing with soccer player Joshua Kimmich, who said a soccer team can be a model for how different cultural , religious and national backgrounds can successfully unite and work together for great goals.

“I always find it strange that we all go on holiday to experience other cultures and then other cultures come here and we complain about it. It is strange. So I can’t go on vacation. I always have to stay where I am,” said the Germany coach, stressing: “We play a European championship for everyone in the country and anyone who can play top football can play in the national team and give everything for his country. And that’s what we do too. And I hope I don’t have to read about such research again.”

Taking it upon himself to explain from the side of WDR, the director of the sports department Karl Falks said that the channel’s reporter Philip Avonou was confronted with the statement that “there are very few really light-skinned Germans in football” during the filming of the documentary “Unit , Law and Diversity”. “Therefore, we commissioned the research to the Infratest-dimap Institute and we ourselves are disappointed that the results are what they are. But they are an expression of the social situation in Germany today. Sport plays an important role in our society, the national team is a strong model of inclusion,” he said. “In the poll, 66% stated that it is positive that the German National Team has many soccer players with an immigrant background,” he added.

The majority of respondents (65%) said they did not agree or tended to disagree with the survey statement. The poll showed a split among political parties, with those aligned with Germany’s far-right AfD party overwhelmingly agreeing with the statement at 47 percent.