Maradona praises African immigrants playing in World Cup semifinals
Monday - July 9, 2018 1:22 pm ,
Category : SPORTS
Maradona praises African immigrants playing in World Cup semifinals
Caracas (Venezuela s) July 9 (IANS) Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona has praised the large number of African immigrants playing for the European teams (Belgium France England and Croatia) that have entered the 2018 World Cup semifinals .
Speaking on a television show aired on the TeleSUR network on Sunday Maradona talked about the players of African origin figuring in the four teams reports Efe.
According to data presented on the show 78.3 percent (14 out of 23) of France s players were born in 11 different African countries while the percentage of immigrants playing for England and Belgium is 47.8 percent.
Maradona spoke of a conversation he once had with Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho who purportedly said the immigrants playing for European teams "know very well they are entering another world in which their day-to-day lives will be radically different."
Maradona however criticized the "mafia" that exists in professional soccer leagues in which "African players are taken to Europe to be nationalized while the players must agree as it is a way to improve their livelihoods."
The Argentine football great said immigrant players "want an opportunity to prove their worth to be able to eat four times a day. The way players are trafficked is terrible and this is happening like never before in every large team."
--IANS kk/sed
Speaking on a television show aired on the TeleSUR network on Sunday Maradona talked about the players of African origin figuring in the four teams reports Efe.
According to data presented on the show 78.3 percent (14 out of 23) of France s players were born in 11 different African countries while the percentage of immigrants playing for England and Belgium is 47.8 percent.
Maradona spoke of a conversation he once had with Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho who purportedly said the immigrants playing for European teams "know very well they are entering another world in which their day-to-day lives will be radically different."
Maradona however criticized the "mafia" that exists in professional soccer leagues in which "African players are taken to Europe to be nationalized while the players must agree as it is a way to improve their livelihoods."
The Argentine football great said immigrant players "want an opportunity to prove their worth to be able to eat four times a day. The way players are trafficked is terrible and this is happening like never before in every large team."
--IANS kk/sed
