The news of Lukas Podolski scoring against the country of his birth in the Euro 2008 championship spread like hot fire: a Pole scores against Poland! Not only that he scored once, he did it twice securing the victory for Germany in that match. Minutes later after the match the Youtube (and probably elsewhere) was filled with comments ending up with kurwa from angry Poles, accusing him of beating up his own country. On the other side Germans were affirming he’s German now and although born in Poland was raised in Germany, others saying he was born in the part of Poland that used to be Germany’s or that his parents immigrated to Germany as ethnic Germans. Anyway, he must of have some weird feelings himself about that.
But Lukas Podolski is not the only one scoring against his own nation at the Euro 2008 cahampionship! Hakan Yakin, an ethnic turk born in Switzerland scored against Turkey too. Hakan was even offered a Turkish citizenship before being called to join Switzerland’s national team but turned it down for personal reasons. Unlike Podolski vs Poland (2:0) the Yakin vs Turkey (1:2) ended up with Turks victory, and one may say Turks were the only ones scoring at that match.
Apart from Podolski and Yakin there is another candidate to join the list – Zlatan Ibrahimovic who plays for Sweden but is of Bosnian and Croatian parentage. Although he’s got really few chances to play against Croatia at this championship: Sweden will have to make it out of the group first and both Croatia and Sweden should get to the final. And then there is Ivica Vastic, a Croatian-born playing for Austria, but when Austria played against Croatia he didn’t score.
So, far these are the ones I spotted, have I missed anyone?
Oh, yeah there’s one more!
Guus Hiddink of Holland coaching Russia. Thanks Guus, now you beat you own country!