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While every individual faces his or her own set of challenges over the course of a lifetime, few of the obstacles are more difficult than those faced by refugees.
As on one hand, we get closer to the spectacle that is the FIFA World Cup 2018, on the other hand, the refugee crisis around the world continues to worsen. It is therefore apt to look at the stories of some of the sportsmen who faced and overcame difficulties as refugees in the past and will soon be entertaining us in Russia on the grandest stage of them all.
These stories serve as inspiration that no obstacle is too big to overcome for the strong willed.
#5 Luka Modric
Born in 1985, Modric spent his early years in a village in the Velebit mountain range of Croatia. In Croatia’s independence war that broke out in 1990, his grandfather was killed by Serbian forces. Their house was burned and the family fled to the coastal town of Zadar where they lived in a hotel which was routinely targeted with grenades.
During the nine years the family stayed in hotels, the parking lot was Modric’s football pitch. He started playing with NK Zadar. Another hurdle came up when he was rejected by his favourite club for being too ‘small and fragile’. Though disappointed, he managed to continue training and went on to sign for their rivals Dinamo Zagreb.
After impressive stints in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovinia, Modric moved to Tottenham Hotspur, where he showed his potential to the world. A high profile move to Real Madrid followed after four seasons at Spurs.
He plays a pivotal role in the side and has helped the club to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles. At the national level, Modric is the third most capped player for Croatia, with 106 appearances under his belt. He was part of the World Cup squads in 2006 and 2014 and will be leading Croatia’s charge in 2018.
#4 Victor Moses
Moses was just eleven when he lost both his parents in religious clashes back in Nigeria, his country of birth, in 2002. He was playing football on the streets when the incident happened. His extended family, however, managed to gather enough money to send him to England.
Moses landed in London as an asylum seeker. He took to football as the means to distract himself from the difficulties of life. His talent was noticed by Crystal Palace, who helped place him at Whitgift school.
He received coaching from former Chelsea defender Colin Pates. His exploits in the English school leagues made him popular and he landed a contract with Palace. His prolific performance for the club’s junior team saw him earn a first-team debut at the age of 16.
Since then, there has been no looking back and Moses is now a regular feature in the Chelsea side. Moses started his international career in junior football for England at the Under 16 level. In 2011, he was cleared by FIFA to play for Nigeria. Since then, he has earned more than 30 caps and is part of the squad for Russia.
#3 Xherdan Shaqiri
Shaqiri was born in erstwhile Yugoslavia to Kosovo Albanian parents.
During the Kosovo war, his uncle’s house was burned down and his own family home was ransacked and everything stolen. The family decided to immigrate to Switzerland in 1992.
Living five minutes away from the football ground at SV Augst, football was the perfect medium to gel in with the locals. He played for SV Augst and FC Basel’s youth teams before landing a professional contract with FC Basel in 2009. He debuted in the same year and made 32 appearances in a triumphant league campaign.
After two more seasons at the club, he made a move to German giants Bayern Munich, where he even won a UEFA Champions League medal. A one-year stint on loan at Inter Milan followed, after which he moved to the English Premier League with his current club, Stoke City.
Shaqiri has been a regular in the Swiss national side since 2009. The 2018 edition will be his third World Cup for Switzerland. He takes immense pride in background and wears boots stitched with the national flags of Switzerland, Kosovo and Albania.
#2 Dejan Lovren
Born in erstwhile in Yugoslavia, Lovren’s parents moved to Munich in Germany during the Bosnian war, but not before his uncle’s brother was killed with a knife in front of others and his best friend’s father was killed in armed combat. They left with just a bag after spending a night in a bomb shelter, leaving behind their house and shop and all their belongings.
Life in Germany wasn’t easy either, as they did not possess the necessary papers to get permanent residency. The fear of being asked to leave always loomed and it became reality when Lovren was ten years old.
Back in Croatia, the family struggled to make ends meet. Lovren’s skates too had to be sold off to pay the bills. Lovren had started playing for a small club back in Germany.
Soon after returning, he impressed while playing for youth teams a few local clubs. He got an offer from Dynamo Zagreb and joined them in 2004. He made his first-team debut in 2006 and made 60 appearances the club.
After stints in Lyon and Southampton, he joined Liverpool in 2014 and has secured his place in the line-up. His international career for Croatia started in 2009. He appeared for Croatia in the 2014 edition too and is part of the 23-man squad flying to Russia.
#1 Valon Berhami
Also born in Yugoslavia, Behrami was five years old when his parents both lost their jobs. Ethnic violence started to increase in his native village. The family decided to leave and moved to a village in Switzerland and his uncle and cousin lost their lives in the war back home.
He took to sport to escape the daily struggles. Valon started with athletics, as he was a good sprinter. A friend introduced him to football and he took a liking to the game. The family came close to being deported in 1996, but the support of the local town folks helped overcome that scare.
After spending a few years at local Swiss clubs, Berhami moved to Italy, where he played for the likes of Lazio. He has had stints in England and Germany as well but is back in Italy currently with Udinese.
His love for his native land is still very much intact and he proudly wears a tattoo of the Kosovo flag on his arm. In the 2018 World Cup, he is set to become the first Swiss footballer to represent the country at four different World Cups.
