I used to interact with executives in major oil companies as part of my work (training). These are people that lived all over the world as a requirement of moving up within their firms. A very high percentage of Americans got used to living in Europe and stayed after retirement. They liked the ease of living in European cities — public transit, other collective goods like health care, pace of life, etc. I imagine that that sort of acculturation might be happening to some of our players.
I was talking about Cincinnati. I spent many of childhood summers on a lake in Wisc. It can be incredibly beautiful... many months of the year! The Ohio River holds a bit less charm for me. And if you've ever been to Spain's north coast... well, I leave it personal taste.
Maybe some, but Miazga has moved around so much, I doubt he has a high comfort level or affinity for any one country or city. Having a spouse over there would obviously change things. I think more often we have a lot of guys who think there is more prestige in Europe, so they’ll end up going to clubs in places like Scotland or the English championship, where the level of play and prestige are not really any higher. Guys like Mueller, Sands, and Ream are an example of this. And while Miazga is under contract at Chelsea, he’s barely played at Chelsea, Nantes, or Alaves.
"From player to Playa, we examine why MM's smokey eye stare didn't work in Netherlands, France and Spain... Oooooh, you mean... Nevermind."
BTW the Chelsea chairman, Bruce Buck and the GM Marina Granovskaia, who has a record of being an extremely tough negotiator, have both left following the takeover with Boehly personally taking over Granovskaia's functions. It would be a stretch to say that this will mean a strategic change with regard to the "loan army", but there will be a difference in approach. With only 12 months left on his contract and no offers likely, it would make sense for him and Chelsea to to get a 3-year deal lined up with Anderlecht or similar and then dissolve his contract. Chelsea will have to accept zero return on their investment but they will at least get his wages off the books while Matt gets to plan his future now. The guy turns 27 in a month and will get 3-year offers, though not in the Top 5. After next summer a 3-year deal takes him past the 30 years-old milestone, making a long-term deal less likely. Whatever about his sporting development, the constant chopping and changing can't be much fun and a long-term deal will give him more financial security than eking out the last 12 months of his Chelsea deal on another loan.
The problem with living in Europe as an American expat is that you will never be fully accepted in that society and will always be viewed as the strange American who abandoned his family, friends, and country to live Portugal or whatever.
There were quite a few who had that attitude towards me, but then again I didn‘t care about them or what they thought. I had plenty of friends who didn‘t care why I was there. Whatevs.
In my experience it depends completely on the person. I felt better accepted in certain groups in some countries (particularly Munich and Italy) than I have being an "import" to some US areas. Usually Americans who act like typical American jerks get ignored, but those that are open to finding community find it.
Having been an "ex-pat" (I'm still humored by the fact that immigrants from majority-white, first-world countries get our own special term for being immigrants) for a few days short of 20 years, I can say that it depends on the situation, location, the ex-pat, and the particular person in the local society you're dealing with. But I've drifted away from Miazga. More relevantly, a millionaire ex-pat footballer living in Europe is rarely going to be fully accepted in the local culture....because they are a millionaire ex-footballer. It doesn't matter what country they are from. They are always going to be that rich foreign guy who used to kick a ball on the TV.
Well, expat is typically associated as someone in retirement or otherwise wealthy who chooses to live out golden years in another (often cheaper) country, which is a different situation than your average young economic migrant seeking a better life. It’s a more precise term. and of course what I wrote is a generalization. If an ex pat for example has legitimate family or cultural and language ties to the European country that’s one thing. But being a random American who chooses to retire in Portugal? Not sure if it will be as rosy as the imagination hopes.
"From' Dublin, actually . The Northside, no less (the Commitments reference there). Got a lot of work to do, but I'll respond later.
In my experience, no. I've been considered an ex-pat since I moved here in my 20s for grad school, and am still called one (by Germans and Americans) now that I'm embedded in my career and decades away from retirement. Same for my Italian girlfriend who is even farther away from retirement than me, the "freelance" (aka marginally employed) American journalist buddy of mine who was jumping in & out of Schengen countries to avoid visa issues, the Americans I've met who came over to teach language after finishing college because the US job market sucked, etc. Of course it also includes wealthy retirees, but they are a small subsection. Anyways, that's just splitting hairs on terminology, and one of my personal pet peeves, so I'll drop it. If you're referring specifically to a retiree, or in the case of MM a relatively rich retiree, I'd say it's less dependent up on being an American and more on whether the person learns the language, integrates themselves into the culture, etc etc. Usual stuff. Believe me, Europeans have bigger, and more deep-seeded beefs with their continental neighbors than with us American weirdos. You don't want to be a French person trying to live in Italy, or a German trying to live...well...anywhere in Europe outside of Germany.
Expat isn’t a special term for “immigrants” from majority white countries, it’s a term that indicates a lack of desire to seek citizenship in the individual’s country of residence. Most, but not all people who come to America are seeking citizenship, whether they’re wealthy Chinese seeking protection from the CCP, or Central Americans who cross the Mexican border on foot. Those who aren’t seeking citizenship obviously are not immigrants. The American retiree in Brazil, or the American businessman working in London isn’t usually seeking citizenship in their new country. And if they are, they’re immigrants.
Too many variables. Donovan had a tough time because the guy is very community-oriented. I know some people who have a grand time because they are taken as "exotic" and everybody wants to take a pic with them as if they were some sort of circus freak. Others hate that. I have a Filipino friend who had a tough time in Japan until the people there knew he was American, not coming from Manila. So it's not all on the person traveling or the country where they travel or the people they happen to have around due to their particular type of work (if you travel to be around scientists and engineers, no matter where you go, you're not going to find empaths/nurturing types). It's a complex combo of all three, and more.
I was an expat for over 15 years. Your description of “typical” does not square with my experience. In fact…other than maybe Mexico and places in Central America…I’d wager you’re not even close…never mind typical.
I can confirm this. I‘m a world traveler and it takes a lot to put me off, but the way Japanese in general thought and spoke about Filipinos was shocking to me.
This is like a bullfighter waving a red cape in front of BigSoccer's most annoying posters, to see if they are up to the challenge.