Multiculture on the Football Field

Their names are Özil, Podolski, Boateng and Khedira. These are the hope of many Germans in championships. And: They and many other members of the German soccer team have foreign roots.

The  Brazilian football player Cacau (nickname: Helmut) came to Germany ten years ago. He worked hard for being a part of a football team. In 2009 he changed his nationality and said ” I am happy about that Germany adopted me. My whole mentality is German”.

Marko Marins parents are from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mario Gomez’ father is Spanish. Lukas Podolski, Miroslav and Piotr Trochowski was born in Poland and Jerome Boateng, who is from Berlin, has a Ghanaian father. Dennis Aogo is the son of a  German and Nigerian couple. Mesut Özil‘s and Serdar Taşcı’s families are from Turkey, but  both were born in Germany. Sami Khedira, whose parents are Tunisian, said once  ‘It doesn’t matter where you are from.”

Globalization and Migration is the basis for the team composition. Through integration, it is possible to involve people from different social classes and background. It is obvious that football is a chance of social advancement and create a new space. Organized kicking is possible for everyone and is not a financial catastrophe for children from socially vulnerable families.