Germany’s 1-0 defeat to Greece on Sunday was followed by an uglier noise online, and Jürgen Klopp moved quickly to reject racist abuse aimed at his squad. The 59-year-old Germany coach said comments questioning whether the team was “German enough” or “white enough” deserved no attention.
Key takeaways
- Klopp condemned racist social-media posts made after Germany lost 1-0 to Greece.
- Some online comments targeted the ethnic background of Germany’s players.
- The coach said he had not seen the posts before being asked about them.
- Klopp praised the unity within his group and said its relationships could not be stronger.
- He argued that football dressing rooms offer a model of mutual respect.
Klopp dismisses online abuse
Speaking after the match, Klopp said he had initially been unaware of the messages. But he offered an unequivocal response once their content was put to him.
“There is no reason to worry about people like that,” he said. “They do not interest me. In everyday life, I have very little time for stupidity, and I do not have time for it on social media either.”
Klopp described the wider culture of instant online reaction as a serious problem, saying that the ability for everyone to air an opinion could become “madness” when it produces such comments.
A dressing room as an example
The Germany coach also defended the character of the squad he has brought together, insisting the players “could not get on better” with one another.
For Klopp, that environment is the answer to the prejudice directed at the team. He said the wider world should look to a football dressing room, where people are respected for what they do rather than undermined by false or discriminatory views.
“That is all there is to it,” Klopp said.
