Klopp walks out of interview when asked about Schweinsteiger's 'wild' and 'unorthodox' remarks on Ivorian football
Jürgen Klopp refused to comment on Bastian Schweinsteiger's description of Ivory Coast's play as 'African football' that is 'wild' and 'unorthodox', then walked out of a New York media session, telling the German journalist she had put him in a bind.
Schweinsteiger's comments on live TV
During the World Cup group stage, ARD pundit Bastian Schweinsteiger analysed Ivory Coast's performance against Germany. He described their style as 'of course a bit of African football, which is sometimes a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, even a bit not so much shaped by tactics'. He added that Germany had to prepare for things to become 'unpredictable sometimes'. The remarks came after Germany's 2–1 win following an early Ivorian lead.
The backlash and accusations of stereotyping
Schweinsteiger faced sharp criticism online and in the media. Philipp Awounou, a black German journalist, wrote in Spiegel that attributes like 'wild' and 'unpredictable' conceal stereotypes with 'racist, colonial roots'. He stressed that he did not consider Schweinsteiger a racist but called the comments 'problematic'.
Emerse Faé: 'We could call it racist'
Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé responded after his team qualified for the knockout stage. He said the comments were sad and disappointing.
Faé revealed he had been a huge admirer of Schweinsteiger in the past and that friends even nicknamed him Bastian because of that admiration. He insisted his team played not only physically but also tactically and technically.That is sad. We could call it racist. When I heard his comment, I was disappointed. I have no choice but to accept it.
Klopp's reaction in New York
Jürgen Klopp, working as a pundit for Magenta TV, was asked about the controversy during a media event in New York by a Deutsche Welle journalist. He immediately pushed back.
He then left the interview spot. Earlier he had called it 'a serious subject' and said he didn't know what an appropriate remark would be.And now you want to keep spinning this topic. No, no, I have no chance of answering this question in a way that pleases everyone. You are putting me in a tight spot. And surprisingly, you are German. That surprises me so much.
Context and reactions
Germany had won the group-stage match 2–1 after trailing 0–1. The controversy unfolded in the midst of the 2026 World Cup hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada. While many fans and pundits debated whether Schweinsteiger's language was racist, the Ivory Coast team advanced to the knockout round. Klopp's walkout added a dramatic twist to an already heated discussion about racial stereotypes in football commentary.
