Published on 6/26/2026
Emers Faye, coach of the Côte d’Ivoire national team, harshly criticized former German star Bastian Schweinsteiger, accusing him of racism after describing the Ivorian team’s performance as “barbaric” and “untactical,” which Faye considered a reflection of preconceived prejudices toward African football that are not appropriate for the game.
Faye’s statements came in the wake of his team’s 2-0 victory over Curacao, a victory that granted the “Elephants” a ticket to the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
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Calling things by their names
Commenting on the criticism of the former German player, Fay said: “I think it is sad. I was an admirer of Schweinsteiger as a midfielder who understands football well, but I was disappointed in his person after these statements.”
He added in a decisive tone: “It is surprising that he speaks this way. We can call this description racism, if we want to call things by their true names.”
Faye rejected the characterization made by Schweinsteiger, stressing that African teams do not merely provide physical performance, but rather possess the necessary tactical depth and technical skills.
The Ivorian coach expressed his hope that the German star’s words were merely a “slip of the tongue” and not a reflection of an inherent thought, stressing at the same time that his team is focused on proving its worth inside the green rectangle. Faye also did not rule out that Schweinsteiger’s goal with this proposal was to stir up media controversy.
The context of the statements and the accompanying controversy
Schweinsteiger made these opinions while working as a technical analyst for the German channel ARD, prior to the confrontation that ended with Germany’s victory over Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 on June 20, where he described the Ivorian team’s style by saying that African football is relatively “unconventional, random, unruly, and may not be subject to sufficient tactical controls,” adding that his team must be prepared to confront this “unexpected” style.
These statements sparked a wave of controversy within the German sports community.
For his part, the former Liverpool coach, German Jurgen Klopp, refused to delve into this controversy when he was asked about it. He told reporters: “This is a serious topic, and I do not know what is appropriate to say. For Africans, it means one thing, and for others it means another thing, and I am not here to talk about this matter.”
It is noteworthy that the Ivorian national team, despite its loss to Germany, succeeded in qualifying for the round of 32 after achieving two successive victories over Ecuador (1-0) and Curacao (2-0). In the next stage, the Ivorian national team is expected to face the winner of Group Nine, between France or Norway.
