From guest worker to the football coach: Renatos inspiring journey

From guest worker to the football coach: Renatos inspiring journey

Renato Gligoroski, born as the son of guest workers from the former Yugoslavia on November 4, 1976 in Vienna, is an impressive example of the challenges and opportunities associated with migration and integration. Growing up at a time when there was little talk about integration and the family had no television, Renato began his school career without being able to speak German at all. Initially, he only communicated with other guest workers and learned through observations what should shape him in his early years. However, this early experience of the isolation was relativized by his passion for football, where performance and talent are in the foreground.

His football career began at VfB Mödling, where he quickly made a name for himself. Parallel to his sporting career, he started his coaching career and studies at the age of 20, which ultimately led him to obtain a double degree in hydraulic engineering and industrial engineering. To his regret, several knee injuries did not allow him to realize his dream of a professional football career. Nevertheless, Renato sees water and football as key factors that have shaped his development and integration.[90minutes]

Football as an integration factor

The role of football as an integrative element in Germany has been a central topic in migration research for many years. In the book "The Ball is colorful" by Ansbert Baumann it is shown that sport, especially football, is often seen as beneficial for integration and social cohesion. However, Baumann questions this view and illuminates the "guest worker football" of the 1960s and 1970s to illuminate the complex conditions between integration and disintegration in football. In particular, it turns out that integration through football was often indirectly and on social interactions. [Degruyterbrill]

An example of this topic is the German Football Association (DFB), which has reflected social trends in Germany since its founding in 1900. Migrants found in football clubs an opportunity to integrate and become part of the community. Especially in the period after the Second World War, many foreign workers arrived in Germany, which was accompanied by the professionalization of football. From the 1960s onwards, guest workers were able to found their own football teams and played for their own clubs as well as for German clubs.[bpb]

Challenges and perspectives in German football

The experiences of players with a migrant background are diverse and range from integrated success to challenges caused by social prejudices. A prominent example is Mesut Özil, who was seen as a symbol of integration, but was criticized after a controversial photo with Turkish President Erdoğan and left the national team. Such incidents show that issues such as identity and belonging in football are often complex and conflict-ridden.[bpb]

Current developments illustrate the continued relevance of these topics: 25% of the players have a migration biography in the squad of the German national team before the 2024 European Championship. This makes it clear that the diversity, which has established itself through migration in recent decades, is mostly perceived in both men's and women's football, even if diversity in women's football has not yet been completely mature. [BPB]

Overall, the history of football in Germany reflects the social debates and transformation processes that are characterized by migration and integration. Football continues to be seen as a tool for promoting social cohesion, which at the same time puts the challenges of social reality in the light that migrants often have to face. [Degruyterbrill]