Show Posts
31
Football / Nationality express ticket needed
« on: March 13, 2006, 01:50:48 PM »
With all the has been discussed about Seabra, Zamora, Samuel and co. thought this was an interesting read.
Source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=361129&root=worldcup&cc=5901
On the tenth of October last year, Nando Rafael scored his first goals for the German Under 21-team.
This summer he could very well participate in the European Youth Championship in Portugal or, should Jurgen Klinsmann get very desperate, even feature in the proper World Cup.
Rafael is hardly a typical German surname, and indeed, he was born in Angola. As a boy he had to hide when rebels killed his parents in that country's civil war.
After leaving the country with his uncle, he found asylum in Holland.
His football talent was easily spotted and within months Rafael joined the youth ranks of Ajax.
He was top-scorer in the highest youth team, the A1, and looked destined to lead the Ajax attack in 2003.
Unfortunately, Rafael was yet to acquire a Dutch passport and had long since lost his Angolan one.
When he had to acquire a work permit to play in the Dutch league for Ajax, he was refused by red tape. It was a classic Catch 22; he had no experience at the top level, which he could only get with a permit. Nor did he have any caps for his country. And they're not easy to earn if you do not have a country.
Ajax had to look for a striker from the EU first before being allowed to sign someone from 'abroad'.
Then in stepped Hertha Berlin, who took an interest, paid a small fee and had no trouble in acquiring a permit for him in Germany.
Last season Rafael became a regular in a team that narrowly missed out on the Champions League. He decided to ask for German citizenship. Still without a proper passport, he still had trouble travelling and could not play away in any European tournament.
Within a couple of months the German community officially welcomed their new Angolan-born son and to cap it all U-21 coach Dieter Eilts invited him to play for Germany.
Before Rafael, Schalke´s Ghanian forward Gerald Asamoah had already entered the record books as the first African to play for Germany. Poland have embraced Nigerian Olisadebe in the past and Brazilians continue to score goals for Tunisia or Japan.
So there is a widespread consensus in the football world that a national coach is allowed to enquire about those foreigners in his league who have not been selected for their own country yet, should they be willing to change nationality.
And why not? They might feel at home in their new country, maybe have the benefit of an EU-citizenship and even help the club when the number of foreigners on the pitch is restricted. Everyone's a winner.
So, when Feyenoord's quicksilver 19-year-old talent Salomon Kalou showed an interested in trading his Ivory Coast passport for a Dutch one in October 2004, it seemed there could only be winners.
One of the first to express his delight was Marco van Basten, who said he could not have enough good strikers in his squad.
However, the normal procedure for naturalisation can only start when the person has spent five years in the country, while Kalou first stepped on Dutch soil in 2003.
Fortunately for Kalou, the law includes a specific fast-track exception for applicants who can be a benefit to the country on cultural or social grounds.
In the recent past, several athletes have been served quickly and helped Holland earn silverware in tournaments never won by Dutchmen before.
In Kalou's case it was not up to a civil servant to decide as it had been with Nando Rafael, but Rita Verdonk, the Minister of Immigration herself. Immediately the Kalou passport became a political issue.
Since 2002, the atmosphere in Holland has changed. What used to be a tolerant and welcoming nation, which thrived on the exchange of culture and trade with all parts of the world suddenly shut the door on most foreigners.
The right-wing government restricted the laws on asylum seekers and Minister Verdonk likes to be seen to be tough. The procedure requires the recommendation of several experts to prove the benefits of a speedy process.
Under-20 coach Foppe de Haan hoped to field Kalou at the World Youth Championship in Holland last summer, while Marco van Basten penned his own letter of recommendation to secure him for the World Cup.
Minister Verdonk decided against it, arguing that other experts had told her our national teams could easily do without Kalou and his only interest was EU citizenship, which could make a move to the better-paid Premiership possible. The year 2009 was early enough for him to get a Dutch passport.
At the appeal even Johan Cruyff made it clear to the minister that Kalou is a sensational talent, as is asked in gaining exception of the law. But no, again.
Then the case went to a court where judges were not convinced by the arguments of the minister.
In her latest decision last week she invented some new restrictions. Kalou now has to stay in the country for a set length of time and do a citizenship test to show he knows his way around.
Kalou can pass the test on May 10, which leaves five days to complete the rather complicated procedure for a passport to make him eligible for the World Cup.
At the moment the FIFA deadline to officially name the squad is May 15, although several national coaches are still hoping to extend that date.
Still it seems unlikely that Kalou will have the right papers before the World Cup begins.
An irony is that Salomon's brother Bonaventura is the current captain of Ivory Coast.
Bonaventura Kalou played for his country at the African Nations Cup in 2002, where they came home early with a solitary point earned from their group.
At Abidjan airport the squad was welcomed by a group of soldiers, escorted to a military camp and detained for a week as punishment for failure at the tournament.
One can imagine this experience is not something to forget easily. Bonaventura has no choice but Salomon Kalou rejected the chance to play for his original homeland and opted to play for Holland instead.
Marco van Basten has assured him a place in the Dutch squad so we might yet witness two brothers play each other at the World Cup for the first time in history. But don't hold your breath.
There is more chance that Germany's Nando Rafael will score against Holland in the knock-out stage than Salomon against his brother.
Source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=361129&root=worldcup&cc=5901
On the tenth of October last year, Nando Rafael scored his first goals for the German Under 21-team.
This summer he could very well participate in the European Youth Championship in Portugal or, should Jurgen Klinsmann get very desperate, even feature in the proper World Cup.
Rafael is hardly a typical German surname, and indeed, he was born in Angola. As a boy he had to hide when rebels killed his parents in that country's civil war.
After leaving the country with his uncle, he found asylum in Holland.
His football talent was easily spotted and within months Rafael joined the youth ranks of Ajax.
He was top-scorer in the highest youth team, the A1, and looked destined to lead the Ajax attack in 2003.
Unfortunately, Rafael was yet to acquire a Dutch passport and had long since lost his Angolan one.
When he had to acquire a work permit to play in the Dutch league for Ajax, he was refused by red tape. It was a classic Catch 22; he had no experience at the top level, which he could only get with a permit. Nor did he have any caps for his country. And they're not easy to earn if you do not have a country.
Ajax had to look for a striker from the EU first before being allowed to sign someone from 'abroad'.
Then in stepped Hertha Berlin, who took an interest, paid a small fee and had no trouble in acquiring a permit for him in Germany.
Last season Rafael became a regular in a team that narrowly missed out on the Champions League. He decided to ask for German citizenship. Still without a proper passport, he still had trouble travelling and could not play away in any European tournament.
Within a couple of months the German community officially welcomed their new Angolan-born son and to cap it all U-21 coach Dieter Eilts invited him to play for Germany.
Before Rafael, Schalke´s Ghanian forward Gerald Asamoah had already entered the record books as the first African to play for Germany. Poland have embraced Nigerian Olisadebe in the past and Brazilians continue to score goals for Tunisia or Japan.
So there is a widespread consensus in the football world that a national coach is allowed to enquire about those foreigners in his league who have not been selected for their own country yet, should they be willing to change nationality.
And why not? They might feel at home in their new country, maybe have the benefit of an EU-citizenship and even help the club when the number of foreigners on the pitch is restricted. Everyone's a winner.
So, when Feyenoord's quicksilver 19-year-old talent Salomon Kalou showed an interested in trading his Ivory Coast passport for a Dutch one in October 2004, it seemed there could only be winners.
One of the first to express his delight was Marco van Basten, who said he could not have enough good strikers in his squad.
However, the normal procedure for naturalisation can only start when the person has spent five years in the country, while Kalou first stepped on Dutch soil in 2003.
Fortunately for Kalou, the law includes a specific fast-track exception for applicants who can be a benefit to the country on cultural or social grounds.
In the recent past, several athletes have been served quickly and helped Holland earn silverware in tournaments never won by Dutchmen before.
In Kalou's case it was not up to a civil servant to decide as it had been with Nando Rafael, but Rita Verdonk, the Minister of Immigration herself. Immediately the Kalou passport became a political issue.
Since 2002, the atmosphere in Holland has changed. What used to be a tolerant and welcoming nation, which thrived on the exchange of culture and trade with all parts of the world suddenly shut the door on most foreigners.
The right-wing government restricted the laws on asylum seekers and Minister Verdonk likes to be seen to be tough. The procedure requires the recommendation of several experts to prove the benefits of a speedy process.
Under-20 coach Foppe de Haan hoped to field Kalou at the World Youth Championship in Holland last summer, while Marco van Basten penned his own letter of recommendation to secure him for the World Cup.
Minister Verdonk decided against it, arguing that other experts had told her our national teams could easily do without Kalou and his only interest was EU citizenship, which could make a move to the better-paid Premiership possible. The year 2009 was early enough for him to get a Dutch passport.
At the appeal even Johan Cruyff made it clear to the minister that Kalou is a sensational talent, as is asked in gaining exception of the law. But no, again.
Then the case went to a court where judges were not convinced by the arguments of the minister.
In her latest decision last week she invented some new restrictions. Kalou now has to stay in the country for a set length of time and do a citizenship test to show he knows his way around.
Kalou can pass the test on May 10, which leaves five days to complete the rather complicated procedure for a passport to make him eligible for the World Cup.
At the moment the FIFA deadline to officially name the squad is May 15, although several national coaches are still hoping to extend that date.
Still it seems unlikely that Kalou will have the right papers before the World Cup begins.
An irony is that Salomon's brother Bonaventura is the current captain of Ivory Coast.
Bonaventura Kalou played for his country at the African Nations Cup in 2002, where they came home early with a solitary point earned from their group.
At Abidjan airport the squad was welcomed by a group of soldiers, escorted to a military camp and detained for a week as punishment for failure at the tournament.
One can imagine this experience is not something to forget easily. Bonaventura has no choice but Salomon Kalou rejected the chance to play for his original homeland and opted to play for Holland instead.
Marco van Basten has assured him a place in the Dutch squad so we might yet witness two brothers play each other at the World Cup for the first time in history. But don't hold your breath.
There is more chance that Germany's Nando Rafael will score against Holland in the knock-out stage than Salomon against his brother.