Romani People

 

Team picture
vs. Padania (0:2) | Friendly Match | 2016 in Italy

The Romani People are a minority that does live across Europe. Many are united by Romanes, the language of the Romani People. Unlike most other minorities in Europe, the Romani People are autochthonous, which means they are not a migrant community, but rather one that is based across Europe for hundreds or thousands of years. In Germany, e.g., they are thus recognised as one of five such minorities (the other being Danish, Sorbia, Frisians and Sater Frisians) and the only national minority that is protected nation wide, not just regionally.Yet, Romani People still do belong to one of the most antagonized and discriminated against minority in Germany - and most of Europe.

When I was general secretary, I had the pleasure of working with a number of Romani People representations. I have worked with a Hungarian Romani People selection that featured in the 2015 European Football Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, with an Italy-based Romani team that was managed by Brera Calcio in Milan and with a Germany-based Romani People selection. While I had the closest personal ties to the German Romani team, which is based in my hometown of Cologne, this shirt is from the Italian team, which only ever played a single match against Padania in 2016, in Milan. 

When it comes to the German Romani People selection, I was able to organise a World Football Cup qualifying match for them against Tamil Eelam in Remscheid in 2017. The Tamils won the match 4:1 and thus got the first team to qualify for the 2018 World Football Cup in London.

The Germany Based Romani People's team playing Tamil Eelam for a World Football Cup qualifier match in Remscheid, Germany.