Foreign-Born Players on Euro 2008 Squads

Yes, it's another Euro 2008 post. What can I say, the tournament is what's on my mind this week.

These are the players on Euro 2008 squads that were born somewhere other than the country that they are representing in the tournament. Many of these players were born elsewhere but grew up in the country they are representing and a few of the players are naturalized, having moved to their nation later on in their career.

Croatia
Josip Šimunić - Australia
Robert Kovač - Germany
Niko Kovač - Germany
Ivan Klasnić - Germany
Ivan Rakitić - Switzerland
Vedran Ćorluka - Yugoslavia (Bos-Herz)
Mladen Petrić - Yugoslavia (Bos-Herz)

France
Jean-Alain Boumsong - Cameroon
Florent Malouda - French Guiana [1]
Lilian Thuram - Guadeloupe [1]
Steve Mandanda - Zaire (DR Congo)
Claude Makélélé - Zaire (DR Congo)
Patrice Evra - Senegal
Patrick Vieira - Senegal

Germany
Kevin Kurányi - Brazil
Miroslav Klose - Poland
Piotr Trochowski - Poland
Lukas Podolski - Poland
Oliver Neuville - Switzerland

Portugal
Pepe - Brazil
Deco - Brazil
Nani - Cape Verde
José Bosingwa - Zaire (DR Congo)
Petit - France

Switzerland
Gelson Fernandes - Cape Verde
Johan Vonlanthen - Colombia
Johan Djourou - Cote d'Ivoire
Valon Behrami - Yugoslavia (Kosovo)
Eldin Jakupović - Yugoslavia (Bos-Herz)

Turkey
Mehmet Aurélio - Brazil
Colin Kazim-Richards - England
Mevlüt Erdinç - France
Hakan Balta - Germany
Hamit Altintop - Germany

Austria
Ronald Gërçaliu - Albania
Ivica Vastić - Yugoslavia (Croatia)
Martin Harnik - Germany
György Garics - Hungary

Italy
Mauro Camoranesi - Argentina
Simone Perrotta - England

Spain
Marcos Senna - Brazil

Greece
Loukas Vyntra - Czech Republic

Poland
Roger Guerreiro - Brazil

Sweden
Tobias Linderoth - France

Czech Republic
NONE

Netherlands
NONE

Romania
NONE

Russia
NONE


A couple of interesting foreign-born player situations:

Josip Šimunić was born in Australia and trained, on Australian tax dollars, at the Australian Institute of Sports. He played in Australia for the Melbourne Knights until he was 19 before moving to Germany with Hamburger SV. When it was time to choose a national team he chose Croatia. He was eventually the player who Graham Poll yellow carded 3 times in one 2006 World Cup game against, you guessed it, Australia.

There's a good post at worldcupblog.org about recent Polish "acquisition" Roger Guerreiro.


[1] French Guiana and Guadeloupe are considered overseas parts of France and are members of the EU.


More Euro 2008 Posts:
Former 'Team of the Tournament' Players returning to Euro 2008
Premiership Players on Euro 2008 squads
La Liga Players on Euro 2008 squads
Serie A Players on Euro 2008 squads
Bundesliga Players on Euro 2008 squads
Club Breakdown of Euro 2008 squads
Age-Analysis of Euro 2008 squads
Euro 2008 Head Coach Look-a-likes