Elon Musk has reacted to claims that Borussia Dortmund intend to speak to Felix Nmecha about his social media posts following the death of Charlie Kirk.
Conservative political activist Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday at the age of 31.
Kirk, a divisive figure known for expressing controversial opinions, was shot while answering a question on gun control in front of a large crowd of students.
Suspected shooter Tyler Robinson, 22, was later taken into custody the following day after a 33-hour manhunt. He is due to appear in court to face charges on Tuesday.
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Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha was among those who expressed sadness at the news of Kirk's death.
"Rest in peace with God. Such a sad day," the 24-year-old initially wrote on Instagram, before the post was subsequently edited to read: "May the Lord grant the Kirk family special grace during this time. Jesus is the true way to peace and love."
Nmecha later added that Kirk had "peacefully stood up for his beliefs and values", comments which prompted a reaction in Germany given the American's polarising statements in the past.
Kirk was a fierce supporter of gun rights, opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and had been accused of promoting false claims about Covid-19. His critics also accused him of making racist, misogynistic and transphobic comments during debates.
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Nmecha later clarified his own comments about Kirk in another post on social media.
"My idea was to express condolences to the grieving family and send the message that hate and violence are never a solution," he posted.
"Having different political viewpoints and opinions is absolutely fine. I, too, disagree with many of the things Charlie Kirk stood for.
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"But let's remember that a human being was murdered in front of his wife and two young children. I believe that expressing compassion is human and should not be judged."
German outlet Der Spiegel report that Nmecha is 'deeply religious' and has previously been criticised for sharing posts deemed by some to be homophobic and transphobic.
In 2023, he shared an Instagram video posted by Matt Walsh, in which the right-wing political commentator mocked the father of a transgender child.
He also shared an image from a fundamentalist Christian Instagram account in which the concept of the LGBTQ+ Pride movement was equated with the devil, as reported by DW.
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Der Spiegel has report that Dortmund intend to speak to Nmecha about his latest social media posts following criticism from some supporters.
Dortmund plan to 'internally address' the posts and 'want to talk' to Nmecha. However, a punishment for the player is 'not under discussion' and there is no suggestion the club plan to take action against him.
However, Der Spiegel also report that, according to information from another German outlet BILD, Nmecha has a clause in his contract that threatens to penalise him if he posts content that 'contradicts the club's values'.
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SPORTbible has reached out to Dortmund for comment.
What has Elon Musk said?
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, has reacted to Dortmund's response to Nmecha's posts.
Taking to X - the social platform of which he is the majority shareholder - Musk retweeted a post from a conservative political account, which referenced the controversy.
In the post, it was reported that conservative figures in Germany had called for Dortmund representatives to be blocked from entering the United States during the 2026 World Cup - which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico - as a result of the club's plans to speak to Nmecha.
Musk also retweeted another post about Dortmund's internal action which included the statement 'What's going on in Europe???', with the billionaire adding the caption: "Wow."
Musk has been accused of using his platforms to fuel right-wing unrest in European nations, including both in the UK and Germany.
At the weekend, Musk called for a "dissolution of parliament" in the UK while addressing a crowd attending a rally in London which was organised by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson.
Topics: Borussia Dortmund, Football
Rory O'Callaghan