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Rediff.com  » Sports » PHOTOS: German players 'gaucho' dance, 'disrespectful'or 'spontaneous'
This article was first published 10 years ago

PHOTOS: German players 'gaucho' dance, 'disrespectful'or 'spontaneous'

July 17, 2014 09:05 IST

Image: From left, Germany's Roman Weidenfeller, Shkodran Mustafi, Andre Schuerrle, Miroslav Klose, Mario Goetze and Toni Kroos appear on stage during celebrations to mark the team's 2014 Brazil World Cup victory
Photographs: Alex Grimm/Pool/Reuters

The head of Germany's national soccer association said on Wednesday that German players celebrating their World Cup triumph did not intend to be disrespectful when they performed a dance that poked fun at their defeated opponent Argentina.

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During victory celebrations in front of fans in Berlin on Tuesday a group of players stooped low and chanted "This is how Gauchos walk, Gauchos they walk like this", before jumping up to shout: "This is how Germans walk, Germans they walk like this!"

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PHOTOS: German players 'gaucho' dance, 'disrespectful'or 'spontaneous'

Image: Roman Weidenfeller, Shkodran Mustafi, Andre Schuerrle, Miroslav Klose and Mario Goetze celebrate
Photographs: Markus Gilliar/Pool /Getty Images

There was little outcry in Argentina but sports newspaper Ole said: "The Gaucho dance performed by the Germans ... caused unease in our country."

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PHOTOS: German players 'gaucho' dance, 'disrespectful'or 'spontaneous'

Image: Manuel Neuer, Kevin Grosskreutz. Matthias Ginter, Julian Draxler, Benedikt Hoewedes and Bastian Schweinsteiger celebrate during the German team victory ceremony
Photographs: Markus Gilliar/Pool /Getty Images

Some German media criticised the dance too. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said it was a ‘nasty satire’ with which the players damaged Germany's image as a tolerant country, Tagesspiegel newspaper said it was ‘tasteless’ and Tageszeitung said it was ‘disrespectful’.

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PHOTOS: German players 'gaucho' dance, 'disrespectful'or 'spontaneous'

Image: Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer carries Thomas Mueller
Photographs: Markus Gilliar/Pool /Getty Images

Wolfgang Niersbach, president of the DFB football association, said the dance was ‘in no way meant disrespectfully’, adding that it was a ‘spontaneous’ expression of the players' joy.

"They are all absolutely decent and fair sportsmen who don't make fun of anyone but just wanted to celebrate wildly with the fans," he said in a statement on the DFB's website.

"We're sorry if this came across the wrong way or was misunderstood by some people."

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PHOTOS: German players 'gaucho' dance, 'disrespectful'or 'spontaneous'

Image: Per Mertesacker, right, Lukas Podolski, centre, and Thomas Meuller, left, celebrate on stage
Photographs: Markus Gilliar/Pool /Getty Images

He said he would write a letter to Argentine FA (AFA) president Julio Grondona and make clear to him that the routine was not meant disrespectfully.

Source: REUTERS
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