Klose sings
July 8th, 2010
How many Poles were gnashing their teeth seeing Polish-born Miroslav Klose not only playing for Germany in the World Cup, but actually singing the German national anthem at the start of each game? Sport has thankfully, become an arena for ersatz violence between nations whose past conflicts were far too real. In immigrant nations like Canada, the World Cup sprouts seas of flags reflecting the oft-buried allegiances to old bloodlines. Families may rally, or fight over the old flags, as the case may be. One of my Austrian cousins is a resolute Anybody But Germany partisan, while I’m certainly more sympathetic to at least the sports fortunes of the Red/Black/Gold; as Canada is nowhere and the U.S. not quite there.
The elimination of Germany from the World Cup of soccer yesterday ends a remarkable run for the talented young side fielded by a nation known more for its conservative, often stolid football. Even very occasional soccer fans will have appreciated their impressive series of wins marred only by a Serbian speed-bump and of course the ultimate loss to the oleaginous Spaniards. An offense that produced several four-goal games was silenced in the semi-final by what seemed to be a deliberate defensive coaching strategy. Pity.
Interestingly, Germany fielded a team with as much or more international flavour as many of its competitors. The German side included one Brazilian-born, at least one Turk and a Tunisian-German; and a Nigerian-born player. One German player, Jerome Boateng, has a brother on the Ghana side, care of their father’s birth-country.
However, the largest “foreign contingent” were the Polish Germans - or is that German Poles? Three regulars - Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Piotr Trochowski made important contributions. All were born in Poland, but used provisions in German law (that allow those with German ancestry) to obtain German citizenship. They have all lived in Germany for most of their lives, Klose since he was seven, Podolski since he was two, Trochowski since five. This is likely small consolation for the Poles.
Klose is by far the most prominent, with his four-goal performance in the tournament tying him for second (with Gerd Mueller) in all-time goals in the World Cup, Second only to Brazil’s Ronaldo. Born in what was German Oppeln, now Polish Opole, Klose is discrete in treading between the two nationalities. He has said it would be best if he were called “neither Polish nor German, but European”. Klose’s father is barely clearer, stating that he is “Silesian and European, and … that the success of his son is due to himself and German clubs. Podolski has stated that his “heart beats for Germany” even though he often communicates with Klose in Polish during games, so as not to be understood. Trokowski apparently did not interest the Polish national squad, so he plays for the Germans. Poland might have used them all, as they did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Nationality is a funny thing. For example, back in the day ethnic Germans on the Hungarian national soccer team were compelled to change their names to sound Magyar. To paraphrase the Office de la Langue Francaise, they wished to maintain the “Magyar face” of the national team. The match between Austria and Hungary in 1902 has been called “the first international match played between two non-British European countries” - this while they were ostensibly part of the same country, Austria-Hungary. That hyphen obviously bridged an unbridgeable gap.
Wherever his “heart beats” Klose, at 32, has likely played his last World Cup game. A great footballer, by whatever name or nationality.
