Emerse Fae responds to Bastian Schweinsteiger's comments on Ivory Coast's style of play
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae expressed his disappointment at Bastian Schweinsteiger's comments about the team's style of play, suggesting they could be seen as racist. He highlighted the technical and tactical qualities of African teams.
Former Germany player Bastian Schweinsteiger's comments about Ivory Coast's "wild" style of play have been criticized by Ivorian national coach Emerse Fae. Before the game between Germany and Ivory Coast in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, Schweinsteiger stated that Fae's team played "a little African" football and that it was not so dependent on tactics.
Following Côte d'Ivoire's qualification to the round of 16 for the first time in their history, Fae expressed his disappointment at Schweinsteiger's comments, suggesting they could be influenced by long-held prejudices about African football. "I think it's sad," Fae said after Ivory Coast's 2-0 victory over Curaçao to secure second place in Group E.
"Schweinsteiger was a very good player; I always liked him as a midfielder and the way he understood football. When I heard his comments, I was disappointed in the man. It's strange for him to talk like that. We could call it racist, if we're being frank. I don't agree with him, but I have no other solution than to work with things as they are. All I can show is that on the pitch, African teams are not just physical; we are technical and tactical. I can only hope it makes a statement clumsy, rather than something that's actually in his mind. If that's what he thinks, he's free to think so."
Fae also suggested that Schweinsteiger's comments could have been intended to be controversial to attract attention. Despite the defeat to Germany, Ivory Coast advanced to the round of 16 with wins over Ecuador and Curaçao in Group E. They will face either France or Norway in the first knockout round on June 30 in Arlington, Texas.
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