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Another Thing Blamed On Homosexuals: World Cup Losses

Jul 14, 2010, 4:10 PM UTC

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â†µWhile the German national team was lauded throughout the World Cup for fielding one of the most dynamic and diverse rosters in the nation’s history, apparently there was another salient difference that ended up being a deciding factor in keeping Germany from advancing beyond the semifinal round: the team was teeming with homosexuals.
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â†µThat claim was being advanced by the long-employed agent of the injured captain Michael Ballack to a Der Spiegel writer even before the tournament began. The writer has expected some of his colleagues present to have keyed on the outrageous comments, but they acted mostly with indifference.
â†µâ†µâ‡¥In an essay entitled New German Men, Aleksander Osang recounts an â†µâ‡¥interview he had with Becker prior to the World Cup in which the agent â†µâ‡¥allegedly told him which of the players in the team were gay. He later â†µâ‡¥said that a former national player was ready to reveal the “bunch of â†µâ‡¥gays” in the German team, according to Osang. Asked about the sexuality â†µâ‡¥of one of the newer players, Becker, who is a lawyer by profession, â†µâ‡¥referred to him as being “half gay”.â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥Osang went on to say that â†µâ‡¥Becker put the new adroit, lighter and elegant style of play that has â†µâ‡¥become a trademark of trainer Joachim Löw’s players down to their â†µâ‡¥homosexuality, in contrast to the typically more aggressive and â†µâ‡¥offensive German style of past years, but suggested they played too â†µâ‡¥delicately to assure themselves a place in the final.â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µâ†µThe comments have predictably drawn ire within Germany, with the German Football Federation, as well as Low himself refusing to respond. One party that did choose to issue rebuke was Bayer Leverkusen, the club that Ballack started his career with and where he will have to return once he finishes with Chelsea FC. While it’s possible the comments of his agent will simply blow over, Ballack might be forced to apologize and say the views of his representation don’t reflect those that he had of his teammates.â†µ

â†µ[H/T - Game On]â†µ

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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