Were the Germans mocking Argentina with their Gaucho dance celebration?

Did the Germans go too far with their post-World Cup victory celebration?

Following Germany’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the team returned to Berlin on Monday, and celebrated their victory with thousands of supporters at the Brandenburg Gate.

However, when the world saw six Germans players, viz., Roman Weidenfeller, Shkodran Mustafi, Andre Schuerrle, Miroslav Klose, Mario Goetze and Toni Kroos putting on a display with their gaucho dance, a massive outcry broke out in Argentina, with people accusing them of being racist towards Argentines.

The Gaucho dance performed by six German players [starts at 0.44]

Upon translation, it sounds like this:

"This is how the gauchos [Argentines] walk, the gauchos walk like this,” they chanted first as they crouched and walked towards their fans.

This is followed by them jumping and chanting, "This is how the Germans walk, the Germans walk like this!"

Gaucho is the term used to address cowboys in Argentina.

However, Wolfgang Niersbach, president of the German Football Association reacted quickly, and released a statement while defending the players.

“The idea came to the players spontaneously out of emotion and joy,” Niersbach was quoted on Reuters. “They are all absolutely decent and fair sportsmen, who aren't mocking anyone, but just want to enthusiastically celebrate with the fans. I'm sorry, if it came across in a different way and was misunderstood by some."

"I'm going to write a letter to my Argentinian colleague Julio Grondona and make it clear to him as well that this action by no means was meant in a disrespectful way. We hold Argentina in the highest esteem, have the best relations to the Football Association there and are looking forward to meet again soon at the international match in Düsseldorf," he added.