BELGRADE, Nov 12 (Reuters) – Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha will not repeat a club goal celebration that triggered afurore over what was perceived as a nod toultra-convervative Christian beliefs with the national tyeam, coachJuergen Klopp said on Thursday.
Klopp, whose side face Serbia in the Nations League on Friday, has discussed the matter with the 26-year-old Nmecha.
“It was a big issue,”Klopp told a press conference. “Last weekend I saw Felix score two great goals and saw the celebration and then the gesture. I did think nothing of it at the time. But then it all kicked off.”
Nmecha celebrated duringBorussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Elversberg last week in which he scored both goals with a gesture that imitated taking a crown off his head and placing it on the grass.
That was seen by many fans as a nod to the campaign “The King’s Return”, linked toBallers in God (BIG), a network of Christian football players.
“He told me he loves all people and discriminated againstno one, so for me the most important issue was settled.” Klopp said. “Then I said ‘how do we do it with the goal celebration?’. He will not be celebrating likethat.”
Critics have said the King’s Return campaign discriminates against homosexuality and transgender people.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
