Even in the happiest moment of his nation's football history, Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae found himself grappling with sadness over comments from a former idol, sparking debate about alleged racial undertones.
Two goals from Nicolas Pepe helped Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 on Thursday (June 25), securing their first-ever World Cup knockout stage berth. But after the match, Fae was asked to respond to remarks made by former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on public broadcaster ARD ahead of Germany's 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in Toronto.
According to DW.com, Schweinsteiger said the African team played 'African football', which he described as 'sometimes a bit unusual, a bit wild, not too tactical'.
The comments left Fae – who once admired the former Bayern Munich star so much that friends called him 'Bastian' – disappointed. 'I think it's sad,' the 42-year-old Fae said. 'He was a very, very good player. I always loved him. When I heard those comments, I was disappointed in him as a person. With your knowledge of football, it's strange to say something like that. If we call it by its name, we could consider it racism.'
Schweinsteiger has not publicly responded to the controversy. Meanwhile, Fae insisted: 'I can't change the way he speaks. But I can prove on the pitch that Africa is not just about physical football. We are also very technical and tactical. I hope it was just a clumsy statement, not reflecting his true thoughts.'
