GERALD ASAMOAH
SCHALKE 04

The first Black man ever to play for Germany, Gerald Asamoah also jokingly calls himself "the Blackest footballer ever to play for Germany."

Born in Ghana, he moved with his parents to Germany at the age of 12, he has been a regular with Schalke 04 since 1999 and his play on the flanks and sometimes up top in a forward role began to be noticed by German National coaches. Upon naturalization he was given a call up to the National Team and has represented Germany with pride and passion, even as he must deal with the nigger taunts and banana throwing racism that never is far from the surface of German society.

"There is still a lot of work to do but the situation is much better than what it was," he recently said when asked about the racism he’s faced while playing in his adopted country.

It's amazing that the German star is even playing. In November of 1998, he collapsed during a game with Hannover 96 and it was revealed that he had a heart condition that could have prevented him playing further. He came to the States and after a complex operation was able to play again.

Now a hero to the growing Black German community, he embraces his new role as source of pride for Black Germans and hopes that the German football association begin to make pay more attention to Black Germans as Holland and France have.

His strength and determination on the field is the very definition of German football and having helped Schalke back to the upper echelon of the Bundesliga, the future is bright for Germany's new, and unique, football hero.

PHOTOS

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Gerald's career took off
when he joined Schalke 04
(www.bbv-net.de)

The first Black man to represent
Germany in international competition
Gerald Asamoah (soccergallery.net)

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