![]() Capped 188 times for her country, she chose to take part in the UNITY Cup not only to show her support but also to learn more about the people who have made France home after fleeing their own countries. “No one is different on the field,” said Laura Georges, a former member of the French national team. It was also a chance for the players to get to know people they might not otherwise meet in the course of their daily lives. Germany eventually won the trophy on penalties after a 2-2 draw against Switzerland in the final.īringing together teams from football associations across Europe, the tournament was an opportunity to highlight football's role in strengthening ties between refugees and the communities that welcome them. See also: Germany win first ever UNITY EURO CupĮach team consisted of a mix of refugee and national amateur players, both female and male.Her club team in Florence, Il Centro Storico Lebowski, has just been promoted to Serie C, the third tier in the national Italian league, moving her one step closer to her dream of playing professional football in the future.įatema is one of 80 players who took part in the recent inaugural UNITY EURO Cup, an eight-team tournament organised by UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, at the Colovray Stadium near UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. I’ve taken Italian courses and made Italian friends as well,” Fatema, 20, said. “Through the girls and the team, I have many things to say in Italian. As a former striker for the Afghan national women’s team, she played 15 games and scored five goals for her country before fleeing in the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. ![]() Fatema Haydari spoke no Italian when she arrived in Florence, Italy, nine months ago. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |