Jurgen Klopp, Germany's new national team coach, commented on the rise of the AfD

Germany's coach, Jürgen Klopp, defended the idea of “positive patriotism” on Thursday and said that Germans should be able to wave their flag without the gesture automatically being associated with nationalism. The statements were made at the press conference where he announced the national team's squad, ahead of Sunday's, September 20, regional elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Without presenting himself as a political expert, Klopp referred to the recent elections in Saxony-Anhalt, won by the AfD with 43.8% of the vote. He said he wants people to be able to be proud of being German while remaining open, tolerant, and respectful of diversity.

The coach specified that he prefers the expression “positive patriotism” to the phrase “national pride,” which he considers susceptible to misinterpretation. In Germany, national symbols are viewed sensitively because of the Nazi past, although they have become more visible at sporting competitions.

The statements come amid a tense electoral context. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the SPD and AfD are polling almost neck and neck, while in Berlin, Die Linke, the CDU, and the AfD are leading the polls. The AfD's rise is also putting pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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