Klopp dismisses far-right 'idiocy' over Germany squad's racial make-up as 'complete nonsense'

Jurgen Klopp has condemned far-right criticism of his Germany squad’s racial make-up as “idiocy”, refusing to engage with politicians who questioned whether his players were “German enough” or “white enough” following Sunday’s Nations League defeat to Greece in Augsburg.

The former Liverpool manager, 59, who signed a four-year deal as Germany head coach over the summer, was responding to posts by Kay Gottschalk, deputy leader of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party. Gottschalk shared side-by-side images of West Germany’s all-white 1990 World Cup final squad alongside Klopp’s team that faced Greece, which included eight non-white players, writing that “character traits, certain virtues, and team spirit are cultural values that develop over centuries and are shaped by shared historical experiences.”

“There is absolutely no reason to pay attention to these people,” Klopp said at a press conference. “You won’t get my thoughts on this. I have little time in everyday life for idiocy — and even less on social media. The great crux of our lives is that everyone is allowed to express their opinion… it’s insane when something like that exists.”

Klopp did, however, point to the football dressing room as a model for broader society. “The world could learn a thing or two from a sports changing room,” he said. “There, everyone is respected based on the facts and not discredited based on false opinions.”

This is not the first time the AfD has targeted the Germany national team along racial lines. In 2016, following Germany’s European Championship elimination, AfD Deputy Party Leader Beatrix von Storch posted on X suggesting the national team should “play again next time” — a widely interpreted reference to the squad’s diversity.

Klopp has made reclaiming a sense of positive national identity a central theme of his tenure. Speaking last month, he said he did not want to “entrust national pride to the wrong people” and expressed a desire to take back the German flag as a symbol of joy rather than division. “When we wave it, I don’t want someone to think: ‘What’s going on with you?’ I want them to think you’re happy and you understand how lucky you are,” he said.

On the pitch, Klopp’s start has been difficult. Germany drew with the Netherlands before losing to Greece, leaving the new coach with work to do as he prepares his side for their Nations League fixture against Serbia.