Caracas (Venezuela): Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona has praised the large number of African immigrants playing for the European teams (Belgium, France, England and Croatia) who have entered the 2018 World Cup semifinals.
Speaking on a television show aired on the ‘TeleSUR’ network Sunday, Maradona talked about the players of African origin figuring in the four teams. According to data presented on the show, 78.3 per cent (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 per cent.
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’. “However, these immigrant players have adjusted brilliantly in the countries they are now playing for and have delivered the goods. Look at Kylian Mbappe of France and Romelu Lukaku of Belgium,” Mardona said.
Certainly African immigrants have contributed to the success of their respective European teams who have reached the semifinals”
Diego Maradona
Maradona, however, criticized the ‘mafia’ that exists in professional soccer leagues, in which ‘African players are taken to Europe to be nationalised, 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’ which they cannot have in their country of origin’. “The way players are trafficked is terrible and this is happening like never before, in every large team,” Maradona asserted.
