June 8
“Multi-culti” is a vital aspect of the German national team, which is going to compete with 15 other nations for the 2012European football championship in Poland and Ukraine. The selection of seven players with a “migration background” by Head coach Joachim Löw is a living example for successful integration.
In earlier statements, Federal chancellor Angela Merkel had declared multiculturalism as a failed concept for German society. Nevertheless, the presence of players such as Mesud Özil, Lukas Podolski, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira und Ilkay Gündoğan, shows that players with different backgrounds to be able to integrate in a successful German team. Head coach Löw defended his players when the media questioned the identification feeling of some players, who would refuse to sing the German national anthem. In fact, these players have proven their belonging feeling in previous matches and if other German players like Cacao, who is a religious Christian, would celebrate their goals in praying to Jesus, the first player to congratulate and hug them would be the Muslim Mesud Özil.
