Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, walked out of a live interview with German broadcaster DW Sports after being questioned about the racism controversy surrounding ex-Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger. The incident occurred during the 2026 World Cup, where Klopp is serving as a pundit for Magenta TV in the United States.
Schweinsteiger's controversial comments
Schweinsteiger, 41, a World Cup winner and former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder, has been working as a pundit for German broadcaster ARD. During analysis of Germany's 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast, he described the African team's playing style as "African football," adding that it was "a bit unorthodox sometimes, a bit wild, not quite as tactical." He also warned that Julian Nagelsmann's side had to be "prepared for it to be unpredictable at times."
The remarks sparked widespread condemnation in Germany, with critics accusing him of perpetuating racist stereotypes. Phillip Awounou, a Black sports journalist and author, wrote in Spiegel magazine: "Behind attributions like 'wild' and 'unpredictable' are stereotypes which are older than football and which have racist, colonial roots. In the past, Black people of African heritage were stigmatized as uncivilized ('wild'), different ('unorthodox') and potentially dangerous ('unpredictable')."
Sports content creator Patrick Schnitzler told his 50,000 Instagram followers: "We learn such stereotypes because we have grown up in a society with stereotypes. Schweinsteiger, too. You and me, too." However, Awounou stressed that Schweinsteiger is "absolutely not a racist and shouldn't be labelled as such."
Klopp's abrupt exit
When a German journalist from DW Sports asked Klopp to comment on the saga, the 57-year-old quickly ended the interview. According to footage, Klopp said: "And now you want to carry on this subject. No, no, I have no chance, I have no chance to answer this question. Everybody likes it, so you bring me into this situation. It's not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject. I don't even know what is appropriate to say."
He continued: "For African people it's one thing, for other people it's another thing, and I'm not here. Thank god I thought nobody asked me about that. You found a moment and surprisingly you are German. That surprised me so much. Thank you very much." Klopp then walked away as reporters were heard saying "no, no."
Schweinsteiger's response
After the match, Schweinsteiger took to social media, writing: "Ivory Coast were the difficult opponent we expected and showed their technical quality and physicality." He did not directly address the controversy.
The incident has reignited debates about racial stereotyping in football commentary, with academic studies cited showing that Black players are more often described by physical attributes than tactical ones.
