Ivory Coast manager Emerse Fae has called out former German soccer star Bastian Schweinsteiger for what he described as 'racist' comments made before last Saturday's World Cup match between the two teams at Toronto Stadium.
Schweinsteiger's controversial remarks
Schweinsteiger, 41, serving as a commentator for German broadcast network ARD during the tournament, characterized the Ivory Coast team's style of play as 'wild' and 'a bit African.' He also claimed that Fae's squad was 'not conditioned by tactics' and described them as 'unpredictable' and 'unorthodox.'
The former Bayern Munich star made these comments ahead of the Group E match, which Germany won 2-1 after coming from behind to secure first place in the group.
Fae's response
Fae expressed disappointment with Schweinsteiger's remarks, stating, 'I think it's sad. Schweinsteiger was a very good player. I have always loved him as a midfielder and the way he understood football.' He added that the comments could be considered 'racist,' saying, 'When I heard his comments, I was disappointed in the man. It is odd he would speak that way. We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade.'
Fae suggested he hopes the comments were merely a 'clumsy' turn of phrase rather than indicative of deeper prejudice. 'I don't agree with him, but I have no other solution other than to work with things as they are,' Fae continued. 'All I can show is that on the pitch African teams are not just physical, we are technical and tactical. I can only hope it is a clumsy statement, rather than something going on in his mind. If that's what he thinks, he is free to do so.'
Fae also implied that Schweinsteiger might have made the remarks to attract attention.
Ivory Coast's World Cup performance
Despite the loss to Germany, Ivory Coast advanced to the knockout stage for the first time, finishing second in Group E after winning their other two group matches. The Elephants are set to face the second-place finisher from Group I—either France or Norway—in the Round of 32 on June 30.
Germany, meanwhile, will play on June 29 against a yet-to-be-determined third-place team.
