German-Kurdish Club SV Azadi Rises Through the Ranks

SV Azadi, a Kurdish football club in Germany, has gained attention for its rapid rise in German football, evolving from a dream shared by three friends into a team that now attracts Kurdish players from around the world.

Founded in 2016, the club has risen through the ranks to reach the Verbandsliga, the sixth tier of the German football system, and has become a symbol of community, cultural identity and sporting success in the diaspora. Its founder and player, Azad Miran, said the aim is to become the biggest Kurdish sports team in Germany, with goals of securing its own stadium and achieving full infrastructural independence.

SV Azadi has brought together Kurdish players from all four parts of Kurdistan, and its coach, Niwar Jasim, said the team focuses on the game despite verbal harassment from opponents. (Rudaw)