Germany leader blames immigrants for Euro loss

German politicians and a top newspaper editor denounced a far-right politician on Friday after she suggested on Twitter that the national soccer team’s loss to France was the fault of players with an immigrant background.

Beatrix von Storch, a deputy leader of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, wrote on Twitter after France beat Germany 2-0 in the Euro 2016 semi-final: “Maybe next time the German NATIONAL TEAM should play again.” Three German players with an immigration background were part of the opening line-up against France on Thursday in Marseille and two more came in as substitutes.

Most Germans take pride in the diversity of their national team, which won the 2014 World Cup with stars such as Jerome Boateng, Mezut Ozil and Sami Khedira, highlighting how far the country has come since the defeat of the Nazi regime in 1945.

The comments were later deleted from von Storch’s Twitter account, but that did not stop a storm of online protest.

Ralf Stegner, a politician with the left-leaning Social Democrats, responded to von Storch with: “Pure foolishness”.

Julian Reichelt, editor-in-chief of mass-selling Bild newspaper’s online edition, said von Storch was a “dumb racist”.

Meanwhile, French riot police fired teargas in clashes with youths on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris early on Friday after France’s qualification for the Euro 2016 final.

The police staged several charges at youth who hurled fireworks, bottles and stones at them. Dustbins were also set on fire.