Germany’s stand on ‘despicable’ fans puts silent England to shame | Daniel Taylor


After a win in Prague, Joachim Löw and his players strongly criticised supporters’ offensive actions. Why won’t Gareth Southgate and co speak out when England fans behave badly?

That was some performance from Joachim Löw, the Germany national manager, after the jarring evidence during the international break that there are still a few troglodytes among his team’s support who seem hell-bent on providing living proof of Einstein’s theory that there is no limit to human stupidity.

Löw had just seen his team win 2-1 against the Czech Republic in Prague, maintaining an immaculate record in their World Cup qualifying group, but when he arrived for his press conference, face like thunder, the questions about his team’s performance had to wait. “I am neither upset nor sad,” he began. “I am full of rage, that explains my feelings better. I am really, really angry about this – that some so-called fans have used the stage of an international football match, and the stage of football, to bring shame on our country with their embarrassing behaviour and appearance. We don’t want these anarchists. We are not their national team and they are not our fans. Their behaviour was the lowest of the low and utterly despicable.”

Related: England fans’ chants in Germany condemned by FA chairman Greg Clarke

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