Etnoliga heroes

Here are our heroes!

Eight players share their personal experiences in our league. Their stories don’t represent everyone—Etnoliga is made up of diverse individuals, each with their own background, journey, and perspective. Who are they? Where do they come from? How did they find their way to Etnoliga? What does their daily life look like? And has soccer helped them navigate life in our country?

Hakan Demir: Our team has a little bit of everything

It is hard to become professional when your family refrains you. Meet Hakan who moved from Turkey to Poland in the age of 17 to play football and study film-making.

Lara Lovero: Etnoliga creates very special environment

She enjoys Poland, especially when playing football. Here is Lara – an Argentinian engineer who decided to leave everything behind and move here with her partner and two cats.

Goutam Mohanty: I like being a part of a big team

He has played as a central midfielder, a center back, a striker and a goalkeeper. And he does play cricket as all Indians do. How did this law teacher from Bhubaneswar found his way to Warsaw and Etnoliga?

Boubacar Diallo: Say ‘hi’ to your new neighbour

Being a Muslim in Poland is not always easy, but this Senegalese athlete has found his own way.

Laura Amador: It’s about being yourself

Volleyball, surfing, tennis, but most of all football. Is it easy for a Portuguese girl to develop her sports passions and career in Poland?

Omar Khlifi: We are one team

One of the most recognizable and cheerful characters of Etnoliga tells about his heart divided between Poland and Morocco. Discover the bright side of football with Omar.

Melanie Święcicka: One leg in Poland, one in the US, both in Etnoliga

Co-captain of Lobos tells about the roots of her cross-cultural team and explains how Etnoliga teaches respect between men and women in practice.

Horacio Flores: In Poland I feel at home

Etnoliga’s top scorer explains the life in Poland and his passion for football. Discover our cross-cultural league from the perspective of a Mexican who fell in love with Polish girl and has set up his second home here.

The task was carried out as part of the re-granting competition of the project “I am European: Stories and facts about migrations to the 21st century” financed by the European Union. The Center for Citizenship Education acts as a partner organization of the consortium implementing the project and the organizer of the competition in Poland. The text expresses the views of the authors only and cannot be equated with the official position of the European Union or the Center for Citizenship Education.