Football Fandom in Italy and Beyond


Book Description

Football fans are passionate and devoted followers. They are also creators and dissenters, performers and producers. This volume analyses football fandom through the media that fans use to construct fandom itself. Media is the lifeblood of modern life; it is the canvas on which ideas are spread, communities are formed and identities are expressed. Today’s fan has an unprecedented variety of tools in which to express their passion, commune with others, and become a fan in front of local, regional and global audiences. The football stadium has always been rife with symbolism. Colourful scarves and communal songs and chants evoke and display local pride and distinguish us from them. The Italian football stadium has a particularly rich history as a place of collective celebration, mourning, support and political dissent. Over time, Italian fans have integrated print, radio and television into their rituals of fandom while modern digital media allows fans to publicise their identities to global audiences. This volume addresses the beauty and humour as well as the fear and anger that are conveyed in the spectrum of media as fans attempt to assert themselves as material and spiritual ‘owners’ of the club of their affection. This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Soccer & Society.




Why Fans Matter?


Book Description

This book explores the meanings, significances, and impacts of the complex identities that soccer fans, especially those of men's soccer, represent worldwide. The chapters in this volume construct and reconstruct fandom in terms of diverse fan affiliations from local to global level, and from national to transnational spaces. Soccer or (association) football is a game where fans come alive with one goal. It is soccer’s fanbase that has made it the most popular mass spectator sport in the world. Since the sport’s growth and its codification in the late nineteenth century, soccer and its followers became markers of varied identities. This volume is an attempt to understand the soccer fan’s tryst with such identities, mostly at the level of professional men’s football in different parts of the world. Fans create, represent, break, recreate, transcend, complicate and confuse diverse identities in their attachments with and loyalties to particular clubs, nations, continents, spaces, communities, races, ethnicities, and players. These identities are given shape through the display and observance of diverse forms of fandom and fan subcultures. Against this wider backdrop, the book brings out the commonalities, conflicts and tensions within these fan identities. Why Fans Matter? Fans and Identities in the Soccer World will be a fascinating read for anybody with an interest in sport and its intersection with disciplines such as sociology, political science, history, media studies, or cultural studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.




FIFA World Cup and Beyond


Book Description

Soccer, the most popular mass spectator sport in the world, has long been a site which articulates the complexities and diversities of the everyday life of the nation. The imaging and prioritization of the game as a ‘national’ or an ‘international’ event in public opinion and the media also play a critical role in transforming the soccer culture of a nation. In this context, the FIFA World Cup remains the grand spectacle for asserting the identity of the nation. This book intends to offer eclectic perspectives and discourses on the FIFA World Cup, and to throw light on the changing dimensions of football and sports culture in terms of identity, race, ethnicity, gender, fandom, governance, and so on. On the one hand, it focuses on the significance of the FIFA World Cup for nations in terms of hosting, performance, playing style, and identity formation. On the other, it looks beyond the World Cup to highlight the growing importance of a host of perspectives in sport in general and football in particular with reference to art, fandom, gender, media, and governance. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.




Football Fans Around the World


Book Description

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.




The Beautiful Game: Passion Beyond the Pitch


Book Description

Dive into "The Beautiful Game: Unveiling the Passion, Evolution, and Future of Football," a captivating journey through the heart and soul of football. This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the game’s rich history, its profound impact on cultures worldwide, and the exciting innovations shaping its future. From the electrifying moments of legendary matches to the personal stories of passionate fans and pioneering players, this book reveals why football captivates billions. Discover the evolution of the sport through historic milestones, delve into the strategies behind football’s greatest teams, and witness the global impact of football as a cultural and social force. But this isn’t just a walk down memory lane. "The Beautiful Game" also looks forward, examining the future of football with a keen eye on emerging technologies, the growth of women’s football, and the role of the sport in addressing global challenges. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of football, exploring its role in shaping communities, inspiring change, and creating opportunities for the future. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to the game, this book offers insights and stories that celebrate the magic of football and its place in our world.




Moon Milan & Beyond: With the Italian Lakes


Book Description

Whether you're sipping espresso in Piazza del Duomo or relaxing lakeside, take on Italy at your own speed with Moon Milan & Beyond. Explore In and Around the City: Wander Milan's most interesting neighborhoods and relax in the nearby lake region, including Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda, and more Go at Your Own Pace: Choose from multiple itinerary options for exploring Milan, the lakes, and nearby towns designed for foodies, history buffs, art lovers, fashionistas, and more See the Sights: Marvel at Milan's skyline from the roof of the Duomo, see da Vinci's Last Supper, and window-shop along the Via Montenapoleone Get Outside the City: Stroll through the charming villages on the banks of Lake Como, kick back on Lake Garda's sandy beaches, or cast your line at a secluded fishing island in the sprawling Lake Maggiore Savor the Flavors: Try traditional Milanese cuisine like ossobuco and risotto Milanese, grab an espresso and cornetto at a local café, and linger over a long lunch on a sunny piazza Experience the Nightlife: Immerse yourself in Milan's vibrant aperitivo culture, sample sparkling wines from the Lombardy region, and bar-hop through the city's bustling late-night scene Get to Know the Real Milan: Follow local suggestions from Milan transplant Lindsey Davison Full-Color Photos and Detailed Maps Handy Tools: Background information on Milanese history and culture, plus tips on sustainable travel, what to pack, where to stay, and how to get around Day trip itineraries, favorite local spots, and strategies to skip the crowds: Take your time with Moon Milan & Beyond. Exploring more of Italy? Check out Moon Rome Walks or Moon Venice & Beyond.




Football, Fascism and Fandom


Book Description

Passionate, political and principled, the UltraS are the hardcore subculture of football supporters found in the stadiums of Italy. Amongst the most committed and uncompromising are two such groups who gather in support of the main football clubs of Rome - AS Roma and SS Lazio. Openly proclaiming neo-fascist sympathies, and not afraid of violence against rival supporters and police, these groups (the Boys Roma and the Lazio Irriducibili) are well-organised and determined to bring about social and political change and stamp out those who oppose them. The much-maligned football hooligans of England pale by comparison. Following years of research involving individuals inside these organisations, and drawing on exclusive interviews with each group's leading figures, Alberto Testa and Gary Armstrong present a fascinating account of the world of the neo-fascist UltraS.




Football Fans, Activism and Social Change


Book Description

The study of football fandom is a fast-growing area of research in the sociology of sport. The first work of its kind, this book explores football fan activism and its impact on contemporary football culture in England, Italy and the Czech Republic. Presenting a comparative study of fan activism in national and transnational contexts, it explores the characteristics of each country’s football fan culture as well as the varying and at times volatile dynamics between fans, authorities and the mass media. Its chapters address key themes and issues including: fans’ reactions to policing and security measures in football stadiums; the socio-cultural significance of symbols and rituals for fans at football games; and fans’ critical engagement with football club ownership and management. Offering original insights into the power of fan activism to influence social change, this book has wider implications for understanding social movements in other cultural and political spheres beyond Europe. Football Fans, Activism and Social Change is fascinating reading for all students, scholars and football fans with an interest in sport studies, fan culture, politics and society.




Collective Action and Football Fandom


Book Description

This book draws upon a relational sociological paradigm to explore the processes of collective action in football fandom across Europe and the UK. Through a range of case studies, the authors address pertinent themes in football fandom, including anti-discrimination, ‘home,’ ticketing, name changes, ‘ownership,’ and broader leftist politics. Each of these case studies engages with the theoretical framework of cultural relational sociology, highlighting the different social and cultural changes English and European football has undergone, often over a very short period of time.




Football Italia


Book Description

Football has undergone a period of transformation over the last thirty years. Despite these global processes, different national leagues have adapted in different ways. After an initial period of success directly after Italia '90, Italian football has gone through a period of sustained crisis. It has been blighted by financial mismanagement, corruption scandals and fan violence. This has impacted Italy's ability to compete on a global stage. Football Italia accounts for the development of Italian football in relation to the wider global transformations impacting football and addresses the reasons for Serie A's initial success and current malaise. Theoretically, this book locates Italian football within the wider power network of the state and how this has impacted political engagement. After an historical overview of the Italian political economy, Football Italia highlights how football is part of the wider political network. Football clubs are owned by powerful businessmen (and they are all men) who are also politicians. This centralisation of power within a small hegemonic group inhibits change. Within this broader structure, wider corruption scandals continue; from regular match-fixing scandals to doping. Meanwhile, stadiums are crumbling and police over-aggressive. It is within this context that we must place the fans. Both the ultras and supporters who attend official supporters' clubs are disaffected and without the power to change the status quo. Consequently, Italian football has been in decline throughout the 21st century.