Jürgen Klopp rejects social media claims Germany team are ‘not white enough’

Jürgen Klopp said he was disgusted by a social media debate questioning whether the Germany team he is assembling were "not white enough" as he spoke before Germany's Nations League match against Serbia on Thursday.

Klopp dismissed the online commentary as "complete nonsense" and said there was "absolutely no reason to pay attention to these people." He added: "You won't get my thoughts on this. I have little time in everyday life for idiocy – and even less on social media."

Asked about the wider issue of people expressing such views, Klopp said: "The great crux of our lives is that everyone is allowed to express their opinion … it’s insane when something like that exists."

Klopp pointed to interaction among sportspeople as evidence of mutual respect, saying: "The world could learn a thing or two from a sports changing room … There, everyone is respected based on the facts and not discredited based on false opinions."

He said the players he had gathered at the national team camp, including several players with a migrant background, "could not be better united than they are." Klopp's plans for Germany since he took over as coach in the summer have attracted huge attention; he has a four-year contract running until the end of the 2030 World Cup.

The barrage of racist and generally offensive commentary on social media followed Germany's 1-0 defeat by Greece last Sunday, marking the first time Greece had beaten Germany. The article said the online abuse echoed repeated criticisms from MPs of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland, who have often referred to the squad as a "politically correct mercenary force."

Klopp made the comments as he prepared for Germany's Nations League fixture against Serbia on Thursday.