“Poland 2 England 1” English fans teased their German counterparts during the break of their team’s round of 16 clash with Germany on Sunday. The English supporters were referring to the Polish ancestry of Germany’s goal-scorers, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. The Germans brushed aside the taunts of the English fans because
they were aware of their football team’s multi-ethnic make-up. It wasn’t an issue for them. After all, 11 of Germany’s 23-member squad could have played for some other country because they were born abroad or had a parent of different nationality.
Germany’s first match at the World Cup here held a mirror to the team’s multi-ethnic roots. Joachim Loew’s young team hammered Australia 4-0 and immigrant players had a hand in all the four goals. The Polish duo of Klose and Podolski scored a goal apiece. Brazilian-born Cacau also got on to the score-sheet. Thomas Mueller scored Germany’s other goal but third-generation Turkish immigrant, Mesut Ozil, set it up.
Last week, German chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of her pride in seeing an ethnically diverse national team at the World Cup. “It is an example of how role models can be created __ role models for our whole country. For those who are of German origin just as much s for those who want to integrate,” she told a TV channel.
The triumphant 1998 World Cup squad of France was full of immigrant players. Zinedine Zidane, the hero of France’s maiden World title, was born to Algerian parents. Vieira, Henry, Thuram and Desailly were all not native French. The current football squad of France is also a shining example for the co-existence of players who could have chosen to play for some other country. Right-wing politicians in France continue to take pot shots at the “dilution” of the national football team, but fans aren’t perturbed. They would rather discuss why Les Bleus have floundered at the World Cup than going into the issue of ethnicity.
The tough immigration policy of England means the Three Lions are forced to scrape along with available homegrown talent. The FA can plead with the ministry of immigration to relax its rules, at least, for footballers so that the country isn’t embarrassed time and again in big events such as the World Cup and the European Championship.