West African footballers fight to fit in when they make it in Europe – both showing up and down
Growing up, many young Africans had ambitions to play football professionally in Europe and become superstars. The BBC reports that around 260 million people in Africa watch the English Premier League. Dreams, for some, have come true, and some have successfully traveled to Europe. According to Football Benchmark, African players – most of them from west Africa – make up about 6% of the total player base of the 11 most famous leagues in Europe.
But the road is hard, up and down.
In a recent study of two west African soccer players, Paul and John, in the German professional soccer league, the Bundesliga, I explored their experiences after arriving from Africa. I conducted face-to-face interviews with the players in October 2021 but used pseudonyms to keep their identities anonymous, as required by research ethics.
Paul came to the central European country at 18 in a trial from the youth academy in his home country and moved to Germany after five years. John came to Germany at the age of 18 after graduating from a football academy in his home country. Environment, culture and identity shape careers and experiences, as well as self-evolution. He experiences many challenges and struggles to fit into his new environment, but his determination to succeed allows him to claim his own place.
As African footballers move to European leagues, more attention should be paid to the struggles they may experience when adapting to a new country and how clubs and football institutions can help in the process.
A challenge for foreign footballers
Paul and John mentioned various cultural, mental and sporting challenges.
language barrier
The Internet and cable TV create the illusion of a common global social space. The reality is that there is a lot of social diversity between (and within) societies. Paul and John hope to encounter a different culture, but adapting to life in Germany is not easy.
The first challenge is language, which limits communication with friends and staff. Although most colleagues and trainers can speak some English, the main language of communication during training is German. Paul recalled that he did not understand the instructions from the coach and had to rely on his teammates to translate them.
The language challenged John’s ability to connect with others outside the club and make friends. To succeed in a competitive space that requires quick results, Paul and John must learn quickly from peers and through formal teaching.
The weather
Weather presents a greater challenge than culture. Paul and John complained that being away from the warm tropics, the cold weather made it difficult to do well. Paul says it is also difficult for people mentally:
I can’t move. Sometimes, I go to the dressing room and maybe I will cry.
Higher standards
Paul and John will understand that the standards of sportsmanship and behavior are set at a very high level. For Paul, the “German work ethic” requires him to maintain high goals. The task at hand is paramount and all other matters are secondary. Indiscipline, he said, has no place in German football.
Having been trained in his country’s elite academy, John is quite accustomed to the ethics of elite football. However, the demand for the sport is higher than usual. He remembers how difficult it was for him at first. Everything is more physically demanding and everyone seems to be faster than him:
Everything is just aggressive … I have to work harder in the gym and on the field, run faster, do everything faster.
Silence
In many places in Africa, life is still relatively communal, with many opportunities to socialize and connect with others. In Germany, it is very different. Most people tend to maintain some social distance and privacy. Paul found his social life rather cold and formal:
Everyone is very serious… when people don’t know you, it’s hard to make friends.
John lives alone and cannot easily make new friends:
In the academy, I am not alone. I’m not a person who cooks alone… But here, I have to come alone to an empty house.
The immigrant experience
Away from the field, African players also live through the debate about immigrants and their place in European society. The ideal immigrant is a high flyer, while the “native” can be mediocre.
Overcome these challenges
Paul and John address and adapt to new environmental challenges through a variety of strategies and practices. Cultural learning plays an important role. At first through friends and later through formal lessons, both were able to learn German.
He also rationalized challenges as part of a professional footballer’s journey, which made them bearable. The opportunity to be a breadwinner for family and friends is an important motivation.
To overcome the loneliness, the players keep in touch with family and friends in their home countries.
Conclusion
Paul and John’s accounts highlight the cultural and environmental contexts that shaped the lives of African players in Europe, and what lies behind the glamor of stardom.
These challenges have a major impact on the quality of life and career progression of migrant footballers. It is important to recognize what lies beyond the glitz and adulation of match day fans.
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Author: Ikechukwu EjekwumaduPostdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Sports Science, University of Tübingen
This article is also a republication of Conversation under Creative Commons license. Read on original article.
The post West African footballers struggle to fit in Europe – two show ups and downs appeared first on Citinewsroom – Comprehensive News in Ghana.
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