Football Fandom In Europe And Latin America

This book combines pieces of work on Europe and Latin America, the two continents where football arouses the most ardent passions among its spectators. Curiously, an undertaking to compare on a large scale the forms extreme fandom takes in these two geographical areas is still lacking. A situational analysis of the scientific literature devoted to the subject over the last two or three decades represents a step in this direction, making a scattered store of knowledge accessible. It thus answers a need to clarify regional differences in identities and in the practices of supporters.

This book examines the topic of identity and collective memory in football fandom. Drawing on global research in history, sociology and political science, the book looks at how, where and why football fans and supporters’ groups introduce particular role models into their self-identity and performative narratives. The book presents original, cutting-edge research that illustrates the complex, multidimensional nature of the (re-)formulation of collective memory and the elevation of role models. It looks at the processes by which some supporters’ groups celebrate historical and contemporary figures – including political leaders, warriors, revolutionaries, or armed resistance groups – that they believe embody patriotic, regional or nationalist virtues, as well as supporters’ groups who define their patriotism in opposition to these figures. The book presents cases ranging from Ukrainian football ultras in the shadow of Russian aggression, and Jewish role models in Germany’s collective football memory, to the symbology of Che Guevara and Diego Maradona in Brazilian and Argentinian football, to hero formation and the myths of national identity in Australian football. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the sociology, culture or politics of sport, or in fandom, identity, nationalism more broadly in sociology, political science or history.

This book examines the interplay between football, politics, violence, passion, and morality in Argentina. Drawing on original ethnographic research, it considers the role of fans, club officials, politicians, and others in the spread and perpetuation of corruption and violence within football and in wider Argentinian society. Argentina’s triumph in the 2022 World Cup brought millions onto the streets of Buenos Aires in celebration, but this book argues that beneath the veneer of sporting success lie networks of power and practices that have naturalized corruption and violence within Argentinian football and, by extension, in Argentinian society as a whole. It shows how the actions of club officials, politicians, barras (groups of organized, violent fans), and the police, which together represent a system of clientelism, exemplify in the world of football the system of organized chaos that habitually defines Argentinian politics. With the barras given licence to engage in violent behaviours linked not only to sporting passion but also to economic and political interests, this book argues that football, politics, and violence have become entangled in a web of social relations that illustrate Argentina’s struggle to break the vicious cycle of corruption and impunity. Shining new light on the significance of sport in wider society and the centrality of football in one of the world’s greatest footballing nations, this book is essential reading for anybody with an interest in the anthropology, sociology, politics, or history of sport, or in political science, corruption, or Latin American studies.

This volume investigates the way in which football supporters around the world express themselves as followers of teams, whether they be professional, amateur or national. The diverse geographical and cultural array of contributions to this volume highlights not only the variety of how fans express themselves, but their commonalities as well. The collection brings together scholars of North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa to present a global picture of fan culture. The collection shows that while every group of fans around the world has its own characteristics, the role of a football fan is laced with commonalities, irrespective of geography or culture. This book was previously published as a special issue of Soccer and Society.

"Latin America has a unique historical and cultural context, is home to emerging global powers such as Brazil and Mexico, and is tied to world regions including China, India, and Africa. Global Latin America considers this regional interconnectedness and examines its meaning and impact in a global world. Its innovative essays, interviews, and stories highlight the insights of public intellectuals, political leaders, artists, academics, and activists, thereby allowing students to gain an appreciation of the diversity and global relevance of Latin America in the twenty-first century"--Provided by publisher.

This book takes a close look at discrimination in football in order to illuminate our understanding of the interaction between sport and wider society, politics and culture, particularly in terms of the (re)production of identity. It presents insightful and diverse international case studies, including the shadow of fascism in Italian football; fan activism against racism, sexism, and homophobia in US soccer; migrant football clubs in Germany, and the use of football club history in the teaching of antisemitism. Together they demonstrate the damaging societal consequences of unchecked resentment and discrimination in football fan cultures but also the potential for fan activism as a socio-positive force. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in football or fandom, the sociology of sport, cultural studies, or political science.

Over the last 50 years, the ultras have become the most widespread, outspoken and spectacular form of football fandom across the globe. Whilst the ultras phenomenon began in Italy, then spread across Southern Europe into Northern Europe, it is now the dominant style of fandom in North Africa, South East Asia and East Asia and is spreading into North America and Australia. This spectacular style of fandom has been spread through global media, social media and increased travel, where fans can view, engage and interact with a range of fans from across the globe and bring various local dimensions to their fandom. This volume brings together a range of articles about the ultras' style of football fandom. It is designed to be an introduction: a first account of ultras for the uninitiated. What follows are analyses and accounts of ultras in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Israel, North America, Australia, Indonesia and Croatia. Not only does this volume demonstrate the prevalence of the ultras' style of fandom across the globe, it shows how football becomes an important cultural arena to see the intersections of globalization and localism. This book was originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

Football fans and football culture represent a unique prism through which to view contemporary society and politics. Based on in-depth empirical research into football in Poland, this book examines how fans develop political identities and how those identities can influence the wider political culture. It surveys the turbulent history of Poland in recent decades and explores the dominant right-wing ideology on the terraces, characterised by nationalism, ‘traditional’ values and anti-immigrant sentiment. As one of the first book-length studies of fandom in Eastern Europe, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of society and politics in post-Communist states. Politics, Ideology and Football Fandom is an important read for students and researchers studying sport, politics and identity, as well as those working in sports studies and political studies covering sociology of sport, globalisation studies, East European politics, ethnic studies, social movements studies, political history and nationalism studies.