Not Celebrating.

[Finnegan]

I know this was brought up in the Germany vs Poland thread, I haven't read the Swiss match thread from today so I don't know if you noticed it there, but this Not-Celebrating-Against-Your-REAL-Country stuff actually annoys me.

If you care so much about your "actual" country, what the fook are you doing playing for some other lesser nation?

Maybe I'm just really that much of a zealot, scary patriot - but I couldn't imagine playing for anyone other than Wales. And if I then went and scored against Wales for, I dunno, Scotland or someone I don't think I could have the audacity to make some sort of moral stand about not celebrating. You've a duty to the fans you're supposed to be representing as much as the ones you once called your compatriots.

Hakan Yakin's little schtick earlier just made me think "what a bell-end." I'd be a little put out if I were Swiss (no pun intended.)

[Maybes]

I completely agree with you to be honest.

You have chosen to represent that country therefore you should hold no alligence (sp) to/with any other nation in my eyes.

Podolski having Polish parents yet he chooses to play for Germany..... therefore forget about Poland you are GERMAN!!

[Finnegan]

I completely agree with you to be honest.

You have chosen to represent that country therefore you should hold no alligence (sp) to/with any other nation in my eyes.

Podolski having Polish parents yet he chooses to play for Germany..... therefore forget about Poland you are GERMAN!!

Well I struggle to sympathize with him at all, he was born in Poland too. Before the residency laws he'd have been a Polish player. He just wants to win trophies, and that's fair enough, if that's what motivates you in life then fine you made your choice. But then don't go pretending it's oh-so-heartbreaking to score against Poland.

[filbertway]

I disagree, I think that you can still like the 2 different nations/teams. As long as you try your hardest for the tea that you're playing against, showing a bit of respect for your other nation/ex team by not celebrating doesn' bother be to be honest.

Like when Claridge didn't really celebrate when he scored against us.

[Maybes]

I disagree, I think that you can still like the 2 different nations/teams. As long as you try your hardest for the tea that you're playing against, showing a bit of respect for your other nation/ex team by not celebrating doesn' bother be to be honest.

Like when Claridge didn't really celebrate when he scored against us.

I think its different at a club level though, becuase you can play for many teams however you can only play for/chose one nation.

[Bert]

At club level i can understand, but it's defintely stupid at national level, fans are pissed off that you're playing for a different nation to the one that they probably should, so you might as well piss them off more and celebrate. I think that it just shows that they will have any excuse to play international football.

[Raj]

I can understand both sides.

I think it shows respect to the country he COULD have played and may still have feelings for.

Imagine the white English lad (cant remember his name,Burchill maybe?) who played for some Caribbean team(maybe Trinidad and Tobago?) scoring against England??

Reckon he'd go mad celebrating knowing all his mates and family are England fans??

Or could you have imagined legendary Jamaican John Barnes(?) scoring against Jamaica and going mental???

But i can also understand the other side of the arguement ie.(If he feels so bothered then he should have played for the other team!) however to a lesser extent.

[Maybes]

I can understand both sides.

I think it shows respect to the country he COULD have played and may still have feelings for.

Imagine the white English lad (cant remember his name,Burchill maybe?) who played for some Caribbean team(maybe Trinidad and Tobago?) scoring against England??

Reckon he'd go mad celebrating knowing all his mates and family are England fans??

Or could you have imagined legendary Jamaican John Barnes(?) scoring against Jamaica and going mental???

But i can also understand the other side of the arguement ie.(If he feels so bothered then he should have played for the other team!) however to a lesser extent.

Good example, its a balanced arguement. No one is right really.

[Finnegan]

Agree with the above about club/country. I have no problem with it at all at club level.

I dunno. End of the day, to some extent I don't blame people for playing for an "adopted" nation, say I dunno Cudicini had agreed to play for England with residency or something. Having been snubbed by his own country for so long and just wanting to experience a World Cup or whatever. I could understand it, I mean it isn't his fault the laws are the way they are.

I just personally can't imagine ever playing for a country that isn't mine. And I just can't imagine putting on some little charade for my "countrymen."

[Raj]

Tis a tough one but there are many cases nowadays of players playing for their adopted countries.

Wasnt there one recently of a Premier League GK playing for England maybe?

Like you said if it means playing in a top competition for an adopted country you'll take the chance.

Then when you come up aginst the country of your birth,you'll have mixed feelings,hence the diluted celebrations???

I personally think its a sign of respect when a player doesnt celebrate too much,but like i say,i can understand both sides.

[ozleicester]

Bollocks!

Ive been out of England for more than three quarters of my life...but im still english and would not play for the "socceroos"

If your playing for another country..then you are denouncing your country and heritage...so dont bother pretending you care!

having said all that...i probably shouldve played for the Aussies...better chance of making the world cup finals with them than the English

Also..i assume that means that if you move to Coventry...its fine for you to support them, just not dance when they beat us??

[Ric Flair]

I'd go mad if I scored against KFC Toilets.

[Number 6]

I quite like it to be honest. When your choice is between Poland and Germany I think it's fair to choose the club he is going to win things with. Podolski may still like Poland more, and consider himself Polish, and the end of the day he's doing his job, the Germans shouldn't resent him for that if he chooses not to celebrate.

[davieG]

Seems to me we're heading towards Countries imitating clubs where the player goes to the one that has the best chance of winning something which rather defeats the object of having National Teams.

If it continues in that vein in the future will we see the same 'National' Teams, possibly the riches ones as more players and agents demand ever greater appearance fees winning the major tournaments.

Having said that I can see that in the very fluid environment we have now regarding where people live/were born with countries being realigned and renamed that qualification will become increasingly complex.

I still think they should play for nothing with all current monies going towards lucrative insurance policies in case they are injured.

[Dr The Singh]

Seems to me we're heading towards Countries imitating clubs where the player goes to the one that has the best chance of winning something which rather defeats the object of having National Teams.

If it continues in that vein in the future will we see the same 'National' Teams, possibly the riches ones as more players and agents demand ever greater appearance fees winning the major tournaments.

Having said that I can see that in the very fluid environment we have now regarding where people live/were born with countries being realigned and renamed that qualification will become increasingly complex.

I still think they should play for nothing with all current monies going towards lucrative insurance policies in case they are injured.

Very true, most of these players who play for there 'adopted country' only play for those countries to gain more glory. If they make that decision, they should live with it and be professional, showing remorse is idiotic and unprofessional!!!

[Manwell Pablo]

Seems to me we're heading towards Countries imitating clubs where the player goes to the one that has the best chance of winning something which rather defeats the object of having National Teams.

If it continues in that vein in the future will we see the same 'National' Teams, possibly the riches ones as more players and agents demand ever greater appearance fees winning the major tournaments.

Having said that I can see that in the very fluid environment we have now regarding where people live/were born with countries being realigned and renamed that qualification will become increasingly complex.

I still think they should play for nothing with all current monies going towards lucrative insurance policies in case they are injured.

Don't agree, with either the orginal post or that, Lucas Podolski was bought up in Germany and has been there since he was two years old, I would wager that had the shoe been on the other foot and he had scored for Poland against Germany he wouldn't of celebrated which is his choice, he has strong ties to two countries and that might be hard to people with one nationality to understand.

And the above is well, completley wrong imo, their a couple of brazilians who wouldn't have a hope in hell of getting in the brazilian team knocking about international football who have claimed resdiency after living in the country in question for five years as an adult. Most others, like Owen Hargreaves, have a geniune claim to play for the country they do like Podolski whos spent his whole life in Germany, and Yakin who was even born in Switzerland!