Germany's national teams are on the rise at all levels of European youth soccer. On Monday, when Germany trounced England, 4-0, in the final of the European Under-21 Championship, it completed a unique triple. Germany holds the European titles at the U-17, U-19 and U-21 age groups. This success, in part, stems from multiculturalism and social integration.
The names of the outstanding performers on Monday tell you something about the mix in the team, explains columnist Rob Hughes. Mesut Ozil is the team's most creative player. Sami Khedira wore the captain's armband. Gonzalo Castro was a key goalscorer. Jerome Boateng, Dennis Aogo, Ashkan Dejagah, Fabian Johnson and Anis Ben-Hatira were all in the squad. All had a choice: to play for Germany, where most of them were born or learned their soccer, or to represent the lands of their fathers. "Eleven of the 23 players at the U-21 European Championships were either born outside Germany or have an immigrant background," writes David Hart on the Newcomers Network.de, a community network site that he helped develop.
Germany's senior squad already has Polish-born strikers, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. Its next wave has roots much further afield, from Africa to the Americas. "In other countries, it is normal for foreign players to be integrated into the team," Dennis Aogo said. "It's also a message, not just for soccer but for life in general that we can live together and achieve great things together." Aogo, born in Karlsruhe to a Nigerian immigrant father, plays defense for Hamburg. He is versatile, committed, adaptable, ready. Nigeria wanted him, but his decision was clear. "I grew up here," he said. "In Nigeria, I do not have the closeness to the country and the culture."