NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� World Cup pundit and former coach J眉rgen Klopp broke off an interview after being asked about former Germany player Bastian Schweinsteiger鈥檚 description of Ivory Coast’s soccer as 鈥渦northodox鈥� and 鈥渨ild.鈥�
Schweinsteiger made the comments on German broadcaster ARD before Germany played the Ivory Coast last weekend, when he spoke about what the German players could expect from their opponents.
鈥淎 bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics. We have to be prepared for it to be unpredictable,鈥� Schweinsteiger said.
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鈥檚 Black, wrote in magazine that the characterizations played on old racist tropes rooted in colonialism. Awounou said he did not think Schweinsteiger is racist.
Klopp, who鈥檚 working for broadcaster Magenta, seemed taken aback when asked about Schweinsteiger鈥檚 comments by Deutsche Welle in a huddle with journalists in New York on Wednesday.
鈥淣ow you want to carry on the subject,鈥� Klopp responded. 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�
Klopp said he had felt fortunate to avoid the subject.
鈥淭hank God, I thought, nobody asked me about that. You found a moment. And surprisingly, you are German. That surprised me so much,鈥� he said with irony before leaving.
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