Endorsed anti-LGBTI posts, now prayed. Teammate speaks out on Nmecha

"It's about love, charity, peace, and gratitude. These are the values we want to convey to the outside world," Tah told German MagentaTV regarding the joint prayer with Nmecha, who also received support from another teammate, Antonio Rüdiger. "It's a personal matter. He did it, and I see nothing wrong with it," the DPA agency quoted the Real Madrid defender, who is Muslim.

Nmecha addressed the situation after the first match of the championship. "On the field, we are rivals, but after the game, we are all Christians and brothers. So we just prayed together because we are still very grateful," stated the 25-year-old midfielder, whose actions sparked mixed reactions in Germany.

This wasn't the first controversy involving the eight-time German international. Three years ago, Dortmund fans demanded the cancellation of his transfer from Wolfsburg after Nmecha endorsed posts from activists that appeared to be directed against the LGBTIQ+ community.