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The last time Germany hosted a major soccer tournament was the 2006 World Cup. With a multicultural team winning the hearts of the nation, it felt to many as if a new, more open sense of German patriotism was forming.
Fast forward to 2024 and with an economy that went into recession last year, things look very different. Last month saw big gains in the European elections for the far-right AfD party – whose popularity has withstood some worrying and well-publicised scandals.
Philip Oltermann tells Helen Peed about Germany’s complicated relationship with the multicultural soccer team. How in previous years famous colored footballers said they only considered themselves German when they were winning. And how a recent survey for a documentary made by German public television sent shockwaves through the country when 21% of those polled said they would prefer to see more white players in the national team. But can a successful performance in the euro help heal these problems once again and bring the country closer together?
Photo: Jürgen Fromme/firo sportphoto/Getty Images
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