Germany is about to host the UEFA European Championship soccer tournament, which is a competition between a collection of European countries that takes place once every four years.
It’s arguably the second-most prestigious soccer tournament in the world, behind only the World Cup. And yet, many German citizens are more concerned about the ethnic makeup of their team rather than the incredible tournament happening in their backyards.
A German public broadcasting company called ARD randomly selected 1,304 citizens to ask them questions about the ethnic makeup of Germany’s squad. According to the BBC, “ARD said it commissioned the survey after one of its reporters was repeatedly asked about the team while producing a documentary about diversity in soccer, and it wanted to have measurable data.”
In a blatant display of racism, 21 percent of the survey's participants said that they wanted more white players on the team. (Side note: only four of the 11 starters for this tournament are not white. Not that that matters in any regard, but it further shows how much help these people need.)
Additionally, one of the questions focused on the ethnic roots of the team’s captain, Ilkay Gundogan. Though German, he has some Turkish ancestry, which shouldn’t be a problem for virtually anyone.
“This question is insane.”
— CNN Sports (@cnnsport) June 3, 2024
Julian Nagelsmann, coach of the German national soccer team, condemned a “racist” poll that asked if the squad has enough White players.https://t.co/PVB9OmXCn3
However, ARD asked in its survey if, and I quote, it was a “pity that the current captain of the German national team has Turkish roots.”
Um, I’m no detective, but I’m pretty sure that’s a racist thing to ask. Again, the player's skin color literally doesn’t matter.
Related: SURPRISE! Stephen A. Smith Claims that WNBA's Hostility To Caitlin Clark Is Racial
Fortunately, right-back Joshua Kimmich condemned the poll, saying it does the opposite of what sports should do: unite people.
“I would really, really miss a lot of the players if they weren’t here,” Kimmich said. “Therefore, that is absolutely racist and has no place in our dressing room. When you consider that we are facing a home European Championship, it is absurd to ask such a question when it is actually about uniting the entire country,”
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann also condemned the survey in a press briefing on Sunday, a day after Kimmich blasted ARD for its actions.
“I see this in exactly the same way. This question is insane,” Nagelsmann said.
The tournament will take place from June 14 to July 14. Let’s hope that fans appreciate what the team does on the field and stops worrying about the ethnic makeup of the players.
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In 2020, Paulette Harlow was arrested for praying and singing hymns outside of an abortion clinic. Now she’s serving TWO YEARS in prison https://t.co/4ugN0GZeJ8
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