Football Fandom and Identity in the 21st Century: Europe on Their Minds (Football Research in an Enlarged Europe)

By: Arne Niemann and Alexander Brand and Regina Weber

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Synopsis: This book uncovers the elusive phenomenon of football fan identities by using a combination of comparative analysis and triangulation of data obtained through discourse analysis of online message boards and survey research in four European country/league contexts and in-depth interviews conducted in eight select fan scenes. The book illustrates that politically relevant developments are often set in motion in supposedly peripheral social fields, and that identities are adapted and transboundary linkages can be established and nurtured through the game of football. The book will be of interest to researchers, scholars and students of Sociology, Political Science, Sport Studies, European Studies and International Relations.