After the thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia defended himself against accusations of racism. In his post-match statement, which some perceived as racist, he said: “We know such teams: towards the end of the game, they lose their tactical structure.” This remark drew criticism.
Garcia, 62, made clear that his comments were in no way aimed at African teams. He stressed that they could just as well apply to Asian, South American, or European teams unfamiliar with such pressure. Belgium had turned the game around after trailing 0-2, and in extra time, captain Youri Tielemans scored the decisive goal from a penalty in the 125th minute.
“As a less experienced coach, I have painfully learned that it is counterproductive to interrupt the game to defend a result at all costs,” Garcia added. His counterpart Pape Thiaw, also asked about Garcia’s statement, said he did not share that view.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
