Klopp says Felix Nmecha will not repeat controversial goal celebration

Germany manager Jurgen Klopp says Felix Nmecha has assured him he will not repeat a goal celebration that attracted criticism because of its links to a religious campaign and a controversial group.

Klopp discussed the Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s celebration at a news conference on Thursday, on the eve of Germany’s UEFA Nations League match against Serbia.

Nmecha scored twice in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 victory over Elversberg in the Bundesliga last Saturday, finding the net with two excellent long-range efforts. His celebrations, however, prompted renewed debate.

The 23-year-old appeared to remove an imaginary crown from his head before placing it on the ground while kneeling.

The gesture is associated with “The King’s Return”, a campaign linked to an evangelical religious network called “Ballers in God”. The network includes a number of Christian footballers and aims to express Christian faith and promote its messages among athletes.

The campaign and network have faced criticism over positions attributed to them on racism and abortion, according to investigations by German broadcaster ARD. Borussia Dortmund’s official supporters’ group also criticised the celebration, saying faith should not be used to justify exclusion or discrimination and that the club should remain a space for everyone.

Klopp said he initially did not understand the significance of Nmecha’s gesture.

“Yes, it was an important subject of discussion,” he said. “Perhaps we should go back to the beginning. I watched football at the weekend and saw Felix score two wonderful goals. I also saw his celebration.

“At first, I did not think about it at all, either the celebration itself or the gesture he made.”

He added: “Then the discussions began. Perhaps it was because of my lack of knowledge, or for another reason, but I did not pay attention to it at first. As the debate grew, I started looking into the details and tried to form a clear picture of the issue.”

Klopp said he wanted to speak directly to Nmecha as soon as they met, describing the player as “a very friendly young man” who was warm, open and always brought positive energy to the Germany squad.

“I said to him: this is the situation, and these are the discussions surrounding it, so what are we going to do? People are asking me what I should say,” Klopp explained.

“I confronted him with everything you might have confronted him with, and with what some people might think. To be clear, I am not one of those people, but there are people who see it that way.”

According to Klopp, Nmecha rejected any discriminatory interpretation of the gesture.

“He told me it had absolutely nothing to do with that, that he loves all people and does not discriminate against anyone,” Klopp said.

That answer settled the most important part of the issue for Klopp. When asked how he would respond to the controversy surrounding the celebration, Nmecha said he would not perform it again.

Klopp added: “His message is that he puts the crown at the feet of Jesus Christ. That is all it means to him. There is no additional message or hidden meaning behind the celebration. For me, that was enough.”