Elham Asaad Buaras
The captain of the German football team, İlkay Gündoğan, has expressed his disappointment and lack of surprise at the findings of a contentious survey, which revealed that 21% of respondents prefer to see more white players in the German national team for Euro 2024.
The survey indicated that 21% of the 1,304 participants desired a higher representation of white players in the squad. Additionally, 17% disapproved of Gündoğan’s captaincy despite his birth in Germany, due to his Turkish heritage.
“The numbers are not surprising,” Gündoğan remarked at Germany’s Euro 2024 training base on June 4. “We all know that. Maybe [the views] will still be there for the next 10 years, maybe it will get better – hopefully.”
Gündoğan, who retained his captaincy under Julian Nagelsmann after being appointed by his predecessor Hansi Flick, attributes these sentiments to the broader political climate in Germany. He observed that “the political development of the last few months” has likely influenced these racist tendencies.
This issue is not isolated; earlier this year, Human Rights Watch urged the German government to address anti-Muslim racism more decisively, citing a sharp increase in hate crimes and racist attacks.
“The German government is falling short in protecting Muslims and people perceived to be Muslims from racism amid rising incidents of hate and discrimination,” the rights group stated.
Gündoğan is particularly frustrated by the timing of the survey. “It is somehow sad that we are doing such surveys these days and attaching importance to them,” he said. “What also bothers me is the timing. For me, that is completely unnecessary and makes little sense.”
The controversial survey was conducted in April for WDR, as part of ARD’s documentary, “United and Justice and Diversity – The National Team between Racism and Identification,” which aired on June 5. The film explores the evolving dynamics of the German national team and includes interviews with current and former players about their experiences with racism.
The survey results have sparked outrage among the team. Nagelsmann expressed his disbelief, saying, “We have to wake up!
There are countless people in Europe who have to flee. I think it’s crazy how blind we are. A football team like Germany could be a role model for how to unite different cultures and skin colours and work towards a common goal.”
Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich added, “Anyone who grew up in football knows that it’s absolute nonsense. Football unites people of different skin colours and religions, and that’s what it’s all about. I would miss a lot of players if they weren’t here.So that’s absolutely racist. Such a survey is absolutely counterproductive.”
It’s worth noting that 65% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement about wanting more white players, showcasing a significant portion of the population rejecting these divisive views.
Photo: İlkay Gündoğan (Credit: WikiMedia)
