Specter of racism looms as Germany prepare to host EURO 2024
Survey reveals racist tendencies toward German national football team, sparking outcry ahead of EURO 2024
- 20% of respondents prefer more 'white players' in German national team, while 17% find it 'sad' that team captain, Ilkay Gundogan, is of Turkish origin
ISTANBUL
A specter of racism looms over the German national football team as the country counts down to host the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship from June 14 to July 14.
The shocking revelation came after a survey by a state broadcaster found that some Germans harbored racist tendencies toward players of color or different ethnicities representing the national team, sparking widespread outrage.
Survey sparks backlash
The survey, conducted by the Sport Inside program on West German Radio and Television Corporation (WDR), found that one in every five participants wanted to see more "white players" in the German national team.
Nearly 17% of respondents also found it "upsetting" that the team captain, Ilkay Gundogan, is of Turkish origin.
▪️ Mesut Ozil
The survey and its findings have drawn criticism from German head coach Julian Nagelsmann and key team members.
▪️ Ilkay Gundogan
▪️ Jude Bellingham
▪️ Benjamin Henrichs
▪️ Anwar El Ghazi
⚽️ Racism has been on the rise in Germany and is now spreading to the football pitch https://t.co/M4LefpAclp pic.twitter.com/uWsu0DhYo9
Speaking ahead of a friendly match against Ukraine this week, a shocked Nagelsmann criticized the questions asked on public television, calling it "madness."
He emphasized that the national team plays for everyone in the country and hoped to avoid such absurd surveys in the future.
German national team player Joshua Kimmich also criticized the poll, calling it purely racist.
Kimmich stressed football brings people together of different nationalities and religions.
"This wasn't even a topic within the team. Anyone involved in football knows this is complete nonsense," he said.
He criticized the questions presented in the survey as unnecessary and wrong, particularly the one on players' backgrounds.
Meanwhile, a separate survey for a documentary on the European Championship found that 21% of the respondents preferred more white players in the German national team. Around 65% of the participants disagreed with that statement.
Racism against German players of foreign origin
The documentary, Unity and Justice and Diversity - Between Racism and Belonging in the National Team, also produced by the WDR, sheds light on racism in sports, particularly toward and within the German national football team.
It revealed that foreign-born players faced exclusion and racist treatment despite contributing to the team’s success.
Presenter Philip Awounou's words "a team playing proudly for Germany but not a team that all of Germany is proud of," encapsulates the feeling.
The documentary includes comments and insights from national team players such as Jonathan Tah and Gerald Asamoah, as well as academics, journalists, and politicians.
‘Fair-skinned’ true Germans
The documentary shows elderly Germans defining true Germans as fair-skinned and saying that citizenship does not make one a genuine German.
It also includes footage of racial abuse toward Asamoah during a match, something the footballer recalled with revulsion.
Racist attacks on Ozil
The documentary also delves into the racist attack and criticism faced by German-Turkish football star Mesut Ozil over a photo with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2018.
It also discusses Ozil's decision to step down from the team and his negative experiences afterward.
The documentary recalls remarks made by politicians, including that of German far-right AfD party leader Alexander Gauland, and sociologist Aladin El-Mafaaalani's commentary on the negative attitude towards Ozil.
It highlights the traumatic effect the 1993 racist arson attack in Solingen, which killed five Turks, had on foreigners living in Germany.
Hooligans in stands
Another overlooked issue is the negative impact of hooligans on German football. There are concerns over racist chants during EURO 2024 matches and that the month-long event, held across Germany, could be marred by potential racist behavior by fans.
'Choose your side'
The German Football Association (DFB) had faced criticism for failing to protect its players from racist attacks, particularly from its former President Reinhard Grindel, who pressured Ozil to "choose a side."
Ozil's subsequent decision to leave the national team put race issues in Germany in the spotlight, inspiring more immigrants to share their experiences under the hashtag #meTwo.
As EURO 2024 approaches, media coverage of Ozil's ordeal and the #meTwo movement have dwindled, while DFB officials attempt to downplay racist incidents.
Former DFB President Fritz Keller acknowledged multiple mistakes in handling Ozil's meeting with Erdogan, emphasizing the societal burden on individuals of dual heritage.
Friedrich Curtius, the former secretary-general of DFB, emphasized the need to respect Ozil's decision to step down from the national team.
He stressed that racism and discrimination have no place in football and should be strongly condemned.
Curtius also acknowledged the significant number of players with migrant backgrounds in German football and expressed a commitment to engage with them.
He highlighted ongoing efforts within the federation to address issues of diversity and inclusion.
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