Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 9y

Refugees team enters German league

Germany's first team to feature only refugees has entered the country's league system.

Welcome United, part of fourth division club SV Babelsberg, went into the German pyramid it the bottom tier this summer.

The team is made up of refuges from countries including Serbia, Somalia, Syria, Nigeria and Macedonia, and was founded last summer after an initiative by Babelsburg fans, who financed the purchase of kits and became sponsors.

"The complete integration of the players into club life is what makes this project special," Babelsberg said on their official website. "The players became members of the club and got the same rights and obligations like all other teams in the club."

Welcome United player Uzoukuw Ejike, a 35-year-old Nigerian, told Spiegel Online: "We are delighted. It's nice to be able to show ourselves and not hide in the refugee hostel."

In a welcoming speech, German FA (DFB) general secretary Helmut Sandrock praised the club as "a shining example" of what fans and clubs could achieve together and added: "Football has always been a means of integration and is part of our welcoming culture."

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