The challenges of football migration : experiences of football players who come to play their trade in Malta

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gain insight into the lived experiences of football migrants who come to play their trade here in Malta. Mainly what are the reasons that they have decided to migrate to Malta, what kind of challenges do they encounter both work related and cultural, how well do they settle in the Maltese community, what are their attitudes on the Maltese football and finally if along the years of playing here whether or not they adopt a Maltese mentality of doing things. The research that was carried out was of a qualitative nature and a snowball technique was applied to recruit participants. A semi-structured questionnaire with open ended questions was used while interviewing the participants. The results obtained have shown that the main reasons for migration were money and professional exposure. Cultural adaptation was dependent on many factors, mostly previous experience in a foreign country, mental strength and the availability of support systems.