Former Germany and Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has clarified comments he made over Ivory Coast during a commentary last weekend.
The 2014 World Cup winner was critical of the African side playing style and had voiced his opinion on their tactics.
“A bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics”, he had said.
However, the former Manchester United midfielder had come under intense scrutiny following those comments.
Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae had slammed the ex-German midfielder and had deemed the comments as racist.
However, Schweinsteiger has now come out to clear the air over the true intentions of his comments.
“I was talking about football, not about people,” Schweinsteiger said.
“It’s a football analysis. Nothing more and nothing less. … I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone.”
Ivory Coast defeated Curacao 2-0 in their final group game, although it was not enough to seal top spot in the group as they finished behind Germany.
They began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Ecuador, but were defeated 2-1 in their second group game by Germany, sealing top spot in the process.
Nicolas Pepe was the star of the show with both goals to seal the win, sending them to the knockout rounds for the first time in the country’s history.
They had previously failed to progress beyond the group stages in all three of their previous appearances.
However, their task does not get any easier with a daunting task against Erling Haaland’s Norway, who finished second behind France in Group I.
The clash will take place at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 30, with the winner advancing to face either Brazil or Japan in the Round of 16.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
