1- Mirko
Votava-Czechoslovakia and West Germany 1970s and 80s
Miroslav
‘Mirko’ Votava was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. His parents defected to the
West following the 1968 Prague Spring, when he was 12, and settled in West
Germany. He actually became a professional at Borussia Dortmund. He earned five
caps for West Germany (1979/81).
He
also had spells at Atletico Madrid and over a decade at Werder Bremen past the
age of 40.
 |
Photo
From: Fussball Magazin, Issue 11, November 1989
(Mirko Votava with Werder Bremen, 1989/90) |
2- Branko
Strupar-Croatia and Belgium, 1990s-2000s
Croatian-born
striker Branko Strupar gained prominence at Belgian club RC Genk in the 1990s.
He gained Belgian citizenship and became an international in 1999 and remained
in the set up until 2002.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, July 1999
(Branko
Strupar)
|
3- Ruy
Ramos-Brazil and Japan-1980s-90s
Brazilian
midfielder Ruy Ramos was one of the first foreign players to play in Japan when
he joined Yomiuri in 1977. He obtained Japanese Citizenship and in the 1990s
played for the national team, winning the Asian Nations Cup in 1992.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, March 1995
(Ruy
Ramos)
|
4- Thomas
Dooley –USA and Germany, 1990s
Thomas
Dooley was a defender born in West Germany to a German mother and an American,
who was on Army duty in West Germany.
He
was raised in West Germany and had a long spell at Kaiserslautern in the late
1980s and early 90s.
With
the 1994 World Cup on the horizon, he was approached by the US Federation and
obtained citizenship in 1992 and became a mainstay of the squad for the rest of
the decade.
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Hors Serie 16, 1994
(Thomas
Dooley with USA National team)
|
5- Ramon
Quiroga-Argentina and Peru, 1970s and 80s
Ramon
Quiroga, Peru’s goalkeeper during the 1978 and 1982 World Cups , was actually
born in Argentina. He joined the Peruvian League in his 20s and obtained
Citizenship.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Hors Serie 12, 1982
(Ramon
Quiroga)
|
