Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has criticized a survey conducted by a national broadcaster as “racist” in the lead-up to Euro 2024. As Germany prepares to host the tournament, controversy has emerged around a survey by ARD, which found that 21 percent of respondents preferred more white players on the national team.
Nagelsmann expressed his shock at the survey being conducted so close to the tournament, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the event. “We’re playing a European Championship for everyone in the country,” he stated, calling the survey “racist” and urging for a collective awakening.
Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich echoed Nagelsmann’s sentiments, denouncing the survey as “absolutely racist.” He highlighted football’s role in uniting people of different backgrounds, saying, “Football in particular is a good example of how you can unite different nations, different skin colors, and different religions.”
The poll was conducted for ARD’s upcoming documentary ‘Unity and Justice and Diversity,’ which addresses racism in football and features several current and former German players. Despite the controversial findings, 65 percent of those surveyed disagreed or tended to disagree with the statement about preferring more white players.
Germany will play Ukraine in Nuremberg and Greece in Monchengladbach in warm-up games before facing Scotland in their Euro 2024 opener on June 14. Further group matches include Hungary in Stuttgart on June 19 and Switzerland in Frankfurt on June 23.