Assimilation and Nationalism in the World Football

In history, assimilation occurs plural football player. And European countries are most keen to do it.

Eusebio was Portugal's greatest player of all time. But everyone knew he was from Mozambique and had come to Portugal after passing through adolescence.

Alfredo di Stefano as well as the poor across the Real Madrid and Spain. He Argentines of Italian descent. He even had to defend Argentina and Colombia before playing for Spain.

Ferenc Puskás came as Hungarian striker with a great reputation and then defected to Spain, shoulder to shoulder with Di Stefano for Spain.

France team that will present the World Cup and European Cup full of first-generation descendants of immigrants or born outside of France. Even one of them, David Trezeguet, perhaps not so fluent in French. They do not defend it if only France, is entitled to defend their home countries.

The Dutch team started the '80s as well. Germany is usually lower players 'pure' German, now can no longer say that. British alike. All European countries there are hardly any that are not possessed by two or three players the results of assimilation.

In Asia, Japan is one of the vanguard. The country is a lot to absorb and Brazilian footballer in history to have at least five national players who come from the State Samba.

Assimilation can be obtained due to various factors. There is due to historical links such as former colonies, mixed marriages, lineage, the right to settle because of time already eligible to become citizens and many others.

It is true that various factors are administrative in nature. A more fundamental reason for assimilation is actually just one, which shall be deemed able to contribute to raise the prestige of the country in international football. But administrative reasons it is very important to validate that the person concerned has become part of "us" and not "them". During the rule of the "us" it's not yet satisfied, will be very difficult to accept as good as any player into the "psyche" of the group.

If the club level this problem easily solved. Contracts signed by the player in question measured through financial rewards.

At country level a different contract bond. There must be a sense of shared struggle for an order of ideas, values, perhaps (nationality) nationalism, seabstrak whatever. So, when the players took to the field represent a country he was not solely play football for money.

If players can not be reconciled with the values that he represents it will be difficult to expect the best from him. Likewise groups represented by the player in question will be very difficult to accept the player.

That is the importance of compliance with these administrative requirements. Therefore, the process is called assimilation: an action to accept, embrace, binding and internalization of values.

However, countries or groups that absorb players were not allowed to behave selfishly. There should be flexibility, awareness, to let the players run the lives of absorption were they already had before. Doing political contract to be part of a set of new values does not mean to throw away all the value they already had before.

After all the players that have the history, life and order which they had previously lived. It is impossible to ask them to decide everything and the totality of citizens as "indigenous".

Reflecting on European countries to absorb the player, that's what they do.

Government of France or French nationals have enraged not only because of Zinedine Zidane says his love of Algeria and dual passports, for example. Or the Dutch people do not feel humiliated when their team captain, Giovanni Van Bronchost, proudly told his parents came from Indonesia. Even when Ferenc Puskás decided to return to Hungary, there were no Spaniards or the Spanish government condemned as a traitor.