Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé has hit back at German football legend Bastian Schweinsteiger, accusing him of making a racist remark after the former midfielder described African football as “wild” and “unorthodox” ahead of Germany’s clash with the Ivory Coast.
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Schweinsteiger made the comments on German public broadcaster ARD before the two nations met last weekend, telling viewers what the German players could expect from their opponents.
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“A bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics. We have to be prepared for it to be unpredictable,” Schweinsteiger said.
Faé, who guided the Ivory Coast into the World Cup knockout round for the first time in the nation’s history following a 2-0 victory over Curaçao on Thursday, addressed the remarks after the win, stopping short of an outright accusation while making his position clear.
“We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade,” Faé said, adding that he hoped the statement was a “clumsy” one not necessarily reflective of Schweinsteiger’s true character.
The Ivorian coach rejected the suggestion that his side’s progress at the tournament had been built on physicality alone, insisting that tactical intelligence and strategic thinking had been equally central to their campaign. He also questioned whether Schweinsteiger was deliberately leaning on outdated racial tropes to generate attention in his broadcasting career.
“When I heard his comment, I was disappointed,” Faé said. “Disappointed in the man. It is odd he would speak that way.”
Schweinsteiger’s remarks had already drawn widespread criticism earlier in the week for reinforcing racist stereotypes about African footballers.
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