Germany national team coach Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha has agreed to stop performing his controversial “crown” goal celebration following a direct conversation between the two.

The gesture, which involves mimicking placing a crown on the head, recently drew sharp criticism from sections of Dortmund’s fanbase due to its association with the Christian organisation “Ballers in God.”

While the club clarified that its objection was tied to the promotion of the group rather than Nmecha’s personal faith, supporters raised concerns over the organisation’s anti-abortion stance and allegations of discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Speaking on the matter, Klopp confirmed that he personally reached out to the 25-year-old midfielder after seeing the public debate escalate.

“I asked him what he would do about the goal celebration because of how it’s being interpreted, and he told me: ‘I won’t do it anymore,'” Klopp said.

Nmecha’s clarification

“However, I want to make it clear that he only wanted to get his message across, which is to place his crown at Jesus’ feet. That’s all it means to him.”

Klopp admitted that the gesture initially went unnoticed by him when watching Nmecha’s recent performances, focusing instead on the midfielder’s play on the pitch.

“At first, it wasn’t a big deal. I saw his two great goals and didn’t even pay attention to his celebration,” Klopp explained. “But the debate grew, and I decided to talk to him. He told me that he loves everyone and doesn’t discriminate against anyone. And that’s the most important thing to me about this whole thing.”

Nmecha’s promise to retire the celebration comes on the heels of similar discussions with Borussia Dortmund’s leadership, who had already requested that the player discontinue the gesture to avoid further friction with fans.

Club president Hans-Joachim Watzke has gone public, stating that he told the midfielder to “stop doing it because it divides the fans.”

The celebration

The controversy erupted following Borussia Dortmund’s 10-1 victory over Elversberg, where Nmecha scored and celebrated by mimicking the placement of a crown on his head before dropping to his knees.

The ritual was connected to “The King’s Return,” a campaign tied to Ballers in God, an evangelical network founded in 2015 by former English footballer John Bostock to unite Christian athletes.