A Syrian Finds Love In Germany

 Daniele, Germany

My name is Daniele, I am a 24-year-old student. I'm currently living in Koblenz, Germany. I was introduced to football in Syria by a school friend back when I was in the 1st class (aged 6) in 2002. He asked me whether I supported Hutteen SC or Tishreen SC. These were the two local teams in the city of Latakia. I didn't know anything about local football, but I still wanted to give an answer. So, I went subconsciously for the first option Hutteen. And since then I was a fan, “ultra”, and a worker for the club. I played for my neighbourhood football team. We competed against teams from other neighbourhoods. I left Syria because of the war.

I am now an IT student at the University. I work as waiter in the summer vacations. Since I'm in a long-distance relationship with my local team in Syria, I decided to have an affair with German football team. I didn't want to, plus I didn't expect to develop feelings. But here I am, and all of my weekends are planned in advance.

Who is in these photos? What is their story?

These photos were taken at the training of TuS International in the German city of Koblenz. The majority of the players are refugees who are living in a camp for asylum seekers – they are Syrian, Iranian, Afghani, Somalian, and Eritrean. The local team TuS Koblenz, which is playing in 5th division in Germany, decided to form a team for the refugees who are living in Koblenz - to give them the chance to integrate into German society and establish a new life in Koblenz.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

It doesn't matter where you are from or what you've been through. There's always something you share with other people despite the differences. There's always a part of you seeking peace, love and normality. Football is the only constant in our lives.

What was your experience with football in Syria?

I started watching football intensively when I was nine. I had internet at home, which was not a typical or usual thing to have - it was not like today. I got to know a forum called Kooora, where you could write news about your football team. It was an Arabic forum, one of the biggest in the Middle East. I started to post match reports in this forum and at the end of 2008, I was elected to be the representative for the electronic newspaper of my club, Hutteen SC, in this forum.

I started to write and write news about the team. In 2009, I got my first job offer as a journalist with Sport Syria (this site does not exist anymore). I was 13. I sent in all my ID cards and information to get a journalist ID. But there was a huge problem with me being a minor, because they saw that as children working. So my application was not approved. I continued with my writing without an ID. I was always sitting in the stands, not by the field.

In 2011 the war started. I decided to stay in touch with football, so I bought a camera and I started to document football in the time of war. At the end of 2014, I received a job offer from Hutteen SC as a media coordinator, but without payment, only as a volunteer because I wanted to support my club. I had access to all the stadiums. I was allowed to go with the team everywhere they went.

I was also fascinated by the fan culture in Europe and in South America. So, I decided to make an Ultras group with a bunch of friends. It was called Orcas (named after the killer whale). We only made two appearances in the stands in the stadium - the other fans were not interested in the idea of having ultras, because they were not used to such a thing in Syria. So we had to dissolve this group.

I left Syria in 2015. I sold my professional camera when I left the country. I am planning to buy a new one here in Germany, and to go to the amateur leagues and start to take some shots again.

Do you play football now with any German people? How do you find the German people?

I play in the bottom division in the region. It's actually more about drinking and getting wasted than about football.

We're talking about a nation with 80 million people. I haven't met them all but the ones I have met were, well I'd prefer to say it in German, “herzlich und sanft” (warm and gentle).

What ambitions do you have for the future?

I want to move to Italy for one season and spend it with AS Roma. I'm planning to get a season ticket and live in Rome for a year. That includes attending all 38 matches of the Italian league plus Coppa Italia and the Champions League (I hope). I started saving money for the trip, but it’s going to take a while.