Scholz reacts to racist comments against German migrant football players

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday criticized racist comments directed against migrant players of the German national football team.

“They are all Germans, they are all our boys,” Scholz said during his address in the parliament, and underlined that the national team has been a successful example of the society’s cultural diversity.

“People with migration background are part of our society, and we will not allow ourselves to be divided. We can be proud that this is also reflected in our national team,” he stressed.

Scholz’s remarks came as a response to an ongoing public debate on the composition of the German national football team, and racist comments in social media against migrant players.

A recent survey by public broadcaster ARD has revealed that some Germans were not happy with having migrant and Black players in the country’s football team.

As many as 21% of Germans said they prefer to see more players with white skin on their national team. Nearly 17% said they regret that the national team’s current captain is a player with Turkish roots.

Germany’s current team has nine players with migration background, including captain Ilkay Gundogan, defenders Jonathan Tah and Waldemar Anton, midfielder Jamal Musiala, and striker Deniz Undav.

The country will host Europe's biggest football tournament, the UEFA Euro 2024 Championship, in June and July. The tournament will kick off in Munich with Germany's game against Scotland on June 14. The final will be held at Berlin's Olympiastadion on July 14.