To celebrate World Refugee Day, FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) have compiled an eleven of footballers playing in this summer’s European Championship who have fled their own countries to find a better, safer life elsewhere.Featuring the likes of Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Liverpool’s Christian Benteke, the team is full of talent.”On #worldrefugeeday we celebrate the involvement of refugees in European life, culture and football,” FARE stated regarding the team.
All of the Fare Euro 2016 Refugee XI arrived in the country they represent as refugees or are the children of refugees.”Organised in a 3-5-2 formation, France’s Steve Mandanda takes up the goalkeeping spot; his family were forced to leave their hometown of Kinshasa in former Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, during the reign of Mobutu Sese Seko, and emigrated to Liege in Belgium.
Vedran Corluka in defence was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina but his family relocated to Croatia in 1992 amidst war across the region in the early 90s.Fellow defenders Lorik Cana and Taulant Xhaka both represent Albania after moving on from Kosovo for the same reason.The latter’s brother, Granit, also stars in the team after choosing to play for Switzerland ahead of Albania, and he is supported in midfield by his international compatriot Xherdan Shaqiri.
The Stoke City player was similarly born in Kosovo but emigrated to Switzerland to escape war in the early 1990s with his family, the same as his teammate Valon Behrami.Luka Modric takes his place in the centre of midfield; the Croatian playmaker was born in Modrici near Zadar during the Croatian War of Independence, and his family had to leave the area in 1991.
Zlatko Junuzovic was born in Loznica, former Yugoslavia, before his family left for Graz in Austria.Up front, Emir Kujovic partners Benteke, with the Swede leaving Montenegro for Scandinavia, and the Belgian striker sharing a story with keeper Mandanda, after leaving Zaire for Belgium amidst Mobutu Sese Soko’s regime.
