Schweinsteiger Faces Racism Accusation After Remarks About Ivory Coast's Style

Bastian Schweinsteiger has triggered a major controversy in Germany after Ivory Coast coach Amerse Fae accused him of racism over comments about the African team’s playing style. The dispute first surfaced after Germany’s dramatic 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in the group stage, when Fae criticized the Germans’ conduct and said he had expected more “fair play” and humility from the eventual group winners.

The tension escalated after Ivory Coast secured its first-ever place in the knockout stage with a 2-0 victory over Curaçao. Ahead of the teams’ next match, Schweinsteiger, working as an ARD pundit, described Ivory Coast as playing “African football,” saying it was “not really tactically structured,” “unusual” and “wild,” and warned Germany to expect an unpredictable game.

Fae responded sharply when asked about the remarks after the Curaçao win. “I think it is sad. Schweinsteiger was a great player, I always liked him and the way he understood the game. When I heard what he said, I was disappointed in him as a person. You can call it racism, if you call things by their name,” he said. He added that African teams can prove on the pitch that they are not only physical, but also technical and tactical, and hoped Schweinsteiger had merely made a poor choice of words rather than revealed his real views.

The fallout also reached Germany, where Jürgen Klopp, another World Cup analyst, declined to comment when asked, saying, “This is a serious issue, and I have no desire to get into it.”