Tags:
Journalism of Courage
By: Kapil Patwardhan
The Swiss national football team is not short of diversity. Thanks to the nation’s lenient immigration laws, the side as players whose origins are spread across the world. Defender Philippe Senderos has a Serbian mother, a Spanish father and has married an Iranian. His defensive partner, Johan Djourou was born in Ivory Coast and adopted by a Swiss woman when he was 17 months old. Left-back Ricardo Rodriguez was born in Zurich to a Spanish father and a Chilean mother.
Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri was born in Yugoslavia. The Bayern Munich star, an ethnic Albanian, emigrated to Switzerland when he was a year old. Captain and midfield Gokhan Inler was born and raised in Switzerland to Turkish Parents. Valon Behrami, who plays for West Ham United, was born to Albanian parents in Yugoslavia. He moved to Switzerland when he was five years old. Left-winger Granit Xhaka was born in Switzerland to Albanian parents. Right-winger Gelson Fernandes, who scored the winner against Spain in the last World Cup, was born in Cape Verde. Versatile midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta was born in Switzerland to parents of Italian descent. He currently holds both Swiss and Italian citizenship.
Striker Joseip Drmic, who was a sensation in the German Bundesliga in the 2013-14 season, is born to Croatian parents. Fellow striker Admir Mehmedi was born in Macedonia and is of Albanian heritage. He moved to Switzerland at the age of two.
The Swiss dressing room speaks six languages including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Serbian. With the talent at hand, coach Hitzfeld will be unable to use miscommunication as an excuse, should the Swiss side underperform at the world cup.
Kapil Patwardhan
