"German Football Coach Condemns 'Racist' TV Survey - Shocking Revelation!"

 German football coach condemns 'racist' TV survey

Jaroslav Lukiv, BBC News

Julian Nagelsmann, the head coach of Germany's national football team, speaks at a briefing. Photo: 2 June 2024, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Julian Nagelsmann said his team would be playing "for everyone" in Germany.

German head coach Julian Nagelsmann has called a recent survey that asked if participants wanted to see more white players on the national football team "racist."

The ARD public broadcaster's poll showed 21% of respondents agreed with this idea.

"It is racist. We need to wake up. Many people in Europe had to flee, looking for a safe country," Nagelsmann said on Sunday.

The 36-year-old agreed with Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who called the survey "racist" the day before.

"Josh [Kimmich] responded well, with a clear and thoughtful statement," Nagelsmann said at a briefing at his team's training base.

"I see it the same way. This question is crazy.

"Many people in Europe have had to flee because of war, economic issues, environmental disasters, and they just want to be accepted.

"We need to ask ourselves what we are doing right now. In Germany, we are doing very well, but when we say things like that, it's crazy how we ignore such issues."

ARD - the German public broadcaster - said it commissioned the survey to get measurable data after a reporter working on a documentary on football and diversity was often asked about the team's makeup.

The poll was done among 1,304 randomly selected respondents.

Karl Valks, sports director with ARD who commissioned the poll, said the company was "dismayed that the results are what they are, but they also show the social situation in Germany today."

"Sport plays an important role in our society, and the national team is a strong example of integration," German media quoted him as saying.

The current national squad has several players with mixed heritage, including captain Ilkay Gündogan and winger Leroy Sané.

Germany is hosting the Euro 2024 tournament later this month, and Nagelsmann said his team would be playing "for everyone in the country." They will start the competition against Scotland at Munich's Allianz Arena on 14 June.

The controversy comes weeks after the team's kit manufacturer, Adidas, had to ban fans from buying German football kits customized with the number 44, after media highlighted their resemblance to the symbol used by World War Two-era Nazi SS units.

The SS was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity committed by the Nazis. Members of the SS included Gestapo agents and concentration camp guards. Their duties included running death camps where millions of Jews and others were killed.