Ex-Ghanaian international Daniel Addo has told Finder Sports that complex immigration issues in Europe largely contributed to his inability to reach his peak in world football as many people expected of him.
Dan Addo who was nicknamed the Darling Boy for his exceptional footballing skills, revealed this in an exclusive interview with Finder Sports on his failure to meet his admirers’ expectations among other matters.
“When we got to Europe, there was nothing like European Union (EU) and that was the time the regulations prevented a team from fielding not more than two foreign players in a match and even that one of the two must sit on the bench”, he said.
“If I had to play a match (at Bayern Leverkusen), they had to take Paulo Sergio (a Brazilian National) out before I came in and that made it very difficult for me”, he added.
He said the complex immigration requirements that prevented players like him from getting that far have since changed, hence the performances we see of foreign players in Europe.
“Unlike today where we have the EU where a player with a German passport can play anywhere in Europe, those days you can’t play even if you have a passport”, Dan said.
Dan Addo however said he has no regrets in his footballing career, adding, “I love football and even without my winning bonus, I still put all my efforts into the game”.
He said their exploits in Europe is what has paved the way for many of the African players who are enjoying their football in Europe today, saying now non-EU players have more than five spots in a team.
“At the time we got to Germany, the Berlin Wall had just been broken and racism was still very high and that impacted negatively on or career”, he said.
Dan Addo is a retired Ghanaian footballer who enjoyed a ten-year career in Europe, and was hailed as one of the most talented players from Ghana in his teenage years. Bayer Leverkusen signed him in 1992 when he was only 15, alongside teammate Sebastian Barnes.
In his international career, Addo was both a member of the Black Stars and the Black Meteors. He played for Ghana's U-17 at the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Italy, also appearing in the 1993 edition, in Japan. With the under-20, he played at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia.
Ex-Ghanaian international Daniel Addo has told Finder Sports that complex immigration issues in Europe largely contributed to his inability to reach his peak in world football as many people expected of him.
Dan Addo who was nicknamed the Darling Boy for his exceptional footballing skills, revealed this in an exclusive interview with Finder Sports on his failure to meet his admirers’ expectations among other matters.
“When we got to Europe, there was nothing like European Union (EU) and that was the time the regulations prevented a team from fielding not more than two foreign players in a match and even that one of the two must sit on the bench”, he said.
“If I had to play a match (at Bayern Leverkusen), they had to take Paulo Sergio (a Brazilian National) out before I came in and that made it very difficult for me”, he added.
He said the complex immigration requirements that prevented players like him from getting that far have since changed, hence the performances we see of foreign players in Europe.
“Unlike today where we have the EU where a player with a German passport can play anywhere in Europe, those days you can’t play even if you have a passport”, Dan said.
Dan Addo however said he has no regrets in his footballing career, adding, “I love football and even without my winning bonus, I still put all my efforts into the game”.
He said their exploits in Europe is what has paved the way for many of the African players who are enjoying their football in Europe today, saying now non-EU players have more than five spots in a team.
“At the time we got to Germany, the Berlin Wall had just been broken and racism was still very high and that impacted negatively on or career”, he said.
Dan Addo is a retired Ghanaian footballer who enjoyed a ten-year career in Europe, and was hailed as one of the most talented players from Ghana in his teenage years. Bayer Leverkusen signed him in 1992 when he was only 15, alongside teammate Sebastian Barnes.
In his international career, Addo was both a member of the Black Stars and the Black Meteors. He played for Ghana's U-17 at the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Italy, also appearing in the 1993 edition, in Japan. With the under-20, he played at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia.
