![Seoul Plaza 2002 FIFA World Cup](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Seoul_Plaza_2002_FIFA_World_Cup.jpg)
Association football culture, or football culture refers to the
cultural
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
aspects surrounding the game of
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. As the sport is global, the culture of the game is diverse, with varying degrees of overlap and distinctiveness in each country. In many countries, football has ingrained itself into the national culture, and parts of life may revolve around it. Many countries have daily football newspapers, as well as football magazines. Football players, especially in the top levels of the game, have become role models.
Football has over 150 years of history. The rules first written in England in 1863 – and since then a vast and diverse culture has emerged. The culture of football can be easily divided into how the players, fans and clubs see the sport. Held every four years, the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
is a "month long festival of football", with ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' adding "its extreme popularity across the expanse of the globe giving it a uniquely universal audience".
Fans
Fair Play
''Fair Play'' is the name of a
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
programme which aims to increase
sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport, or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. This is with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. A "sore loser" refers to o ...
as well as prevent discrimination in the game of football. This also involves programmes to reduce racism in the game. The programme extends to outside of football, in trying to support charities and other organisations which improve conditions around the world.
The principles of the Fair Play programme can be summarised as follows:
# Play fair (no
diving
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
)
# Play to win but accept defeat with dignity
# Observe the laws of the game
# Respect opponents, teammates, referees, officials and spectators
# Promote the interests of football
# Honour those who defend football's good reputation
# Reject corruption, drugs, racism, sexism, violence, gambling and other dangers to our sport
# Help others to resist corrupting pressures
# Denounce those who attempt to discredit the sport
# Use football to make a better world
Both FIFA and
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
have awards which they hand out to individuals or groups of people who have promoted what they see as the spirit of ''Fair Play'', both within and outside of football. An example of this was the Italian player
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a forward. He primarily played as a deep-lying forward ...
who, while not given an award, was congratulated by many sections of the football world for a generous display of ''Fair Play''. Despite having a goal-scoring opportunity while playing for
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
against
Everton, when Di Canio saw the Everton goalkeeper had incurred an injury, instead of scoring what would have been the easiest goal of his career, he caught the crossed ball with his hands, causing the referee to call a foul for handball. The referee stopped play and allowed the goalkeeper to receive treatment for the cuts and bruises to his face. The referee smiled and did not issue a red card, which he should have done according to the laws of the game. When the referee noticed he was being shown close-up on the scoreboard screen, he pointed at his smile and began blowing loudly on his whistle.
Food and beverages
![Brazilian supporters in Berlin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Brazilian_supporters_in_Berlin.jpg)
In the United Kingdom, attendance at football matches is associated with the consumption of traditional football foods such as
meat pie
A meat pie is a pie with a filling of meat and often with other savory ingredients. They are found in cuisines worldwide.
Meat pies are usually baked, fried, or deep fried to brown them and develop the flavour through the Maillard reaction. M ...
s and
Bovril
Bovril is the trademarked name of a thick and salty meat extract paste similar to a yeast extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston. It is sold in a distinctive bulbous jar, and as cubes and granules. Bovril is owned and distrib ...
. Food and beverage sales in stadiums can raise high incomes for clubs, and some clubs make attempts to improve their service and diversify out of traditional foods. In Brazil, ''sanduíche de calabresa'' (
pepperoni
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami made from cured pork and beef seasoned with paprika or other chili pepper.
Prior to cooking, pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red. Thinly sliced pepperoni is one ...
sandwich) is a popular meal in the surrounding areas of stadiums. In
Mineirão
Mineirão (), officially Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto (''Governor Magalhães Pinto Stadium'') is the largest football stadium in the state of Minas Gerais. It was established in 1965, and it is located in Belo Horizonte.
It served as a ...
stadium, ''feijão tropeiro'', a typical dish from
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
, is very common. In Germany, many football fans eat
bratwurst
Bratwurst () is a type of German sausage made from pork or, less commonly, beef or veal. The name is derived from the Old High German ''Brätwurst'', from ''brät-'', finely chopped meat, and ''Wurst'', sausage, although in modern German it is o ...
and drink beers. In Argentina, ''
choripán
''Choripán'' (plural: ''choripanes'') is a type of sandwich with chorizo and popular in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. The name comes from the combination of the names of its ingredients: a grilled chorizo sausage and a crusty bre ...
'' (a sandwich with grilled
chorizo with crusty bread) and grilled hamburgers are commonly served in stadiums. In the past, a variety of pizza without cheese was served, which is now known as ''pizza de cancha'' ("pitch pizza"). In Spain and Bulgaria, it is very common to eat sunflower seeds during the match. Although not in the whole of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, but especially in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, ''
ćevapi
Ćevapi (, ), ćevapčići (formal: diminutive; , ) is a grilled dish of minced meat found traditionally in the countries of southeast Europe (the Balkans). It is considered a national dish of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is also common ...
'' are commonly seen to be sold around the stadiums before and after the matches, and people can often be seen selling ''
pepita
A pumpkin seed, also known in North America as a pepita (from the Mexican es, pepita de calabaza, "little seed of squash"), is the edible seed of a pumpkin or certain other cultivars of Squash (plant), squash. The seeds are typically flat and ...
'' and juices in front of the entrance of the stadium and on the stands during the match.
In many countries with
drinking culture
Drinking culture is the set of traditions and social behaviors that surround the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a recreational drug and social lubricant. Although alcoholic beverages and social attitudes toward drinking vary around the w ...
, football has been associated with
alcohol consumption.
[Pearson, G. 'An Ethnography of English Football Fans: Cans, Cops and Carnivals', 2012, Manchester University Press] This can be before, during and after the match, with drinking occurring inside the stadium, sometimes illicitly, as well as in pubs and bars outside. However, unwanted behaviour caused by drinking has led to the banning of the sale of alcohol to general supporters in stadiums across the UK, although most English and Welsh sides continue to sell alcohol within general stadium areas, with only clubs in Scotland being subject to a blanket ban following rioting after the
1980 Scottish Cup Final. Sales of alcohol still occur in executive lounges. Some teams and countries have Supporters Clubs which have friendly drinking reputations. However, some countries are more associated with drunken hooliganism as mentioned in the
violence
Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or Power (social and p ...
section below. More recently research has cast doubt on the effectiveness of alcohol restrictions on reducing the likelihood of disorder and violence, particularly involving English football fans such as the
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster ( it, Strage dell'Heysel ; german: link=no, Katastrophe von Heysel ; french: Drame du Heysel ; nl, Heizeldrama ) was a crowd disaster that occurred on 29 May 1985 when mostly Juventus fans escaping from a breach by L ...
.
[Pearson, G. and Sale, A. 'On the Lash: Revisiting the Effectiveness of Alcohol Controls at Football Matches', Policing and Society, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2011: 1–17.]
Hooliganism
![UEFA Euroleague FC Salzburg vs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/UEFA_Euroleague_FC_Salzburg_vs._AFC_Ajax_Amsterdam_14.jpg)
The level of passion with which football teams are supported has from time to time caused problems, and clashes between fans can result in violence. Some violence occurs by people aiming to cause trouble, a phenomenon known as
hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
. Other fans group together in
hooligan firms, which are organised gangs that seek fights with other firms supporting rival clubs. Both are sometimes known as the "
English Disease," after the disorder caused by English fans travelling abroad to support either their club or national team in the 1970s and 1980s.
[Stott, C. and Pearson, G. 'Football Hooliganism: Policing and the War on the English Disease', 2007 London: Pennant Books] However, violent organised
supporters' groups surrounding football have been prevalent in other countries, most notably ''
barras bravas'' that emerged in Argentina in the 1950s, some years before the appearance of significant hooligan firms in England. In addition, ''
ultras
Ultras are a type of association football fans who are renowned for their fanatical support. The term originated in Italy, but is used worldwide to describe predominantly organised fans of association football teams. The behavioural tende ...
'', originally emerging in Italy in the 1960s, and in parts of Europe, Asia, Australia and North Africa, and ''
torcidas organizadas'' in Brazil (emerged as non-violent groups during the 1930s but became violent ones in the 1970s) have become significant.
Violence by fans has ranged from small fights between fans to tragedies such as the
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster ( it, Strage dell'Heysel ; german: link=no, Katastrophe von Heysel ; french: Drame du Heysel ; nl, Heizeldrama ) was a crowd disaster that occurred on 29 May 1985 when mostly Juventus fans escaping from a breach by L ...
and also the
Football War
The Football War ( es, La guerra del fútbol; colloquial: Soccer War), also known as the Hundred Hours' War or 100 Hour War, was a brief military conflict fought between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. Existing tensions between the two countr ...
. There have been incidents of fans being murdered, such as the killings of Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, two
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
supporters, in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
in 2000 on the eve of the UEFA Cup Semi-Final first leg. In recent years this aspect of the game seems to have passed its peak in England though it has by no means disappeared completely. Specialist police units and information-sharing between regional and international police forces has made it much harder for the hooligans to organise and participate in disorder.
CCTV inside and outside stadiums and also at other anticipated "flash points" such as city centres and railway stations now makes it more likely that people involved in disorder can be identified later even if they are not arrested at the scene. However, there are still disruptions surrounding football matches. One example being the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
matches which were played on 12 and 13 March 2005.
Violence by fans has also affected players, including professional athletes, but this is rare. One example includes a message to
Christian Vieri
Christian "Bobo" Vieri (; born 12 July 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre forward.
Having been born in Italy, Vieri moved with his family to Australia as a child, before returning to Italy to pursue his p ...
, apparently by an
Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
fan, which threatened to burn down his restaurant, criticising his attitude towards the team. There is also the notorious incident where the
Colombian international player
Andrés Escobar
Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga (; 13 March 1967 – 2 July 1994) was a Colombian footballer who played as a defender. He played for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed ''The Gentleman'', he was known ...
was murdered shortly after returning home from the
1994 World Cup. This was reputedly for scoring the
own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
which eliminated Colombia from the competition.
Before the
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...
, 26
Seaburn Casuals
Seaburn Casuals are a football hooligan firm associated with the English football club, Sunderland A.F.C. The group's activity was prominent in the 90s and the early 00s, with the club being involved in some of the most violent incidents in Bri ...
(a
Sunderland A.F.C. supporters
Sunderland A.F.C. supporters are the followers of Sunderland A.F.C. an English professional association football, football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Sunderland A.F.C. were formed in 1879 and joined English Football Leag ...
firm) hooligans were arrested in a police raid after a military-issue smoke bomb was let out at a local pub after a fight with bouncers. By the end of the operation, over 60 were facing charges. Some of the Seaburn Casuals hooligans picked up in the raid were also involved with neo-Nazi groups like
Combat 18
Combat 18 (C18 or 318) is a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation that was founded in 1992. It originated in the United Kingdom, with ties to movements in Canada and the United States. Since then it has spread to other countries, including Germany ...
. The operation failed when judge ruled CCTV footage from the pub inadmissible.
In March 2002, the
Seaburn Casuals
Seaburn Casuals are a football hooligan firm associated with the English football club, Sunderland A.F.C. The group's activity was prominent in the 90s and the early 00s, with the club being involved in some of the most violent incidents in Bri ...
fought with hooligans from the
Newcastle Gremlins
Newcastle Gremlins are a football hooligan firm associated with the English football club, Newcastle United F.C.
On 9 January 2005, violence erupted after a home FA Cup match between Newcastle United and Coventry City. Shortly after 6 pm, sever ...
in a pre-arranged clash near the North
Shields Ferry
The Shields Ferry operates across the River Tyne, between North Shields and South Shields in Tyne and Wear, England. The service is operated by the Nexus, the Tyne and Wear PTE. Prior to takeover by the PTE in 1972, it was known as the Market ...
terminal, in what was described as "some of the worst football related fighting ever witnessed in the United Kingdom". The leaders of the Gremlins and Casuals were both jailed for four years for conspiracy, with 28 others jailed for various terms, based on evidence gained after police examined the messages sent by mobile phone between the gang members on the day.
There have been a number of accidents and disasters in the history of football. Some of these, such as the
Hillsborough and
Ibrox disasters, were due to problems with crowd control. The
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster ( it, Strage dell'Heysel ; german: link=no, Katastrophe von Heysel ; french: Drame du Heysel ; nl, Heizeldrama ) was a crowd disaster that occurred on 29 May 1985 when mostly Juventus fans escaping from a breach by L ...
was a combination of hooliganism and poor crowd control. The
Bradford City stadium fire was due to poor fire safety in the stadium. Lessons learned from these disasters have led to safer football stadiums and
gradual bans on smoking.
Match programmes
Match programmes are sold inside and outside stadiums before, and sometimes during, matches. In their most simple form, they provide basic information on the teams, players, and match officials. Larger clubs usually produce multiple-page programmes with features such as comments from the manager and club captain, interviews with players, ex-players and backroom staff, information about ticketing arrangements for forthcoming matches, a detailed fixture list and review of the team's season so far, competitions, pages for junior fans, and a detailed feature on the opposition. Programmes from some matches are collectible items, and can fetch money at an auction.
Pitch invasions
![WBA The Great Escape](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/WBA_The_Great_Escape.jpg)
Pitch invasions happen when supporters move from the stands onto the football pitch, some times to deliberately disrupt a match. This is distinguished from times when, due to safety reasons, fans are let onto the pitch.
Examples of pitch invasions include the 1923 "
White Horse"
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
final between
Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. Due to the overwhelming numbers in the stadium, the police had to bring order back to the stadium. Another example is the 1977
British Home Championship match between England and Scotland, again at Wembley. After Scotland won 2–1, the "
Tartan Army
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
" invaded the pitch and managed to break down the goalposts, as well as cutting up the turf to take.
In addition, there are better natured pitch invasions, typically at the end of games that involve success for one of the teams. This commonly occurs after a team wins a championship, survives relegation or achieves an upset, typically in a cup competition.
Solo invasions are more common although few in number. In some cases, these are
streakers who try to invade the pitch while nude. Supporters tend to view this as harmless fun. One such pitch invasion was at
UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
, in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
between
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, when "
Jimmy Jump
Jaume Marquet i Cot (), more popularly known as Jimmy Jump (born 14 March 1976), is a streaker from Sabadell, Catalonia, Spain, known for interfering in several major entertainment and sporting events.
Incidents
Football
On 4 July 2004 ...
" ran onto the pitch to disrupt the match. Another well known invasion was carried out by Karl Power, who
sneaked into Manchester United's team photograph before their
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
match with
Bayern Munich. His other stunts have involved the
England national rugby union team and the
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor race organised in the United Kingdom by the Royal Automobile Club. First held in 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Ch ...
.
Supporter groups
There are many types of
sub-cultures and types of groups centred around football.
Casuals are interlinked with
hooligan firms.
Ultras
Ultras are a type of association football fans who are renowned for their fanatical support. The term originated in Italy, but is used worldwide to describe predominantly organised fans of association football teams. The behavioural tende ...
are a primarily continental European phenomenon (emerging later in Asia, Australia and North Africa), while in South America, the ''
barra bravas'' (oldest violent organised supporters' groups, emerged in the 1950s in Argentina) are common, with the exception of Brazil, where ''
torcidas organizadas'' are more prevalent.
Rivalries
![Camp Nou during El Clasico October 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Camp_Nou_during_El_Clasico_October_2012.jpg)
Derby matches, which are matches between two neighbouring rival clubs, are often fiercely competitive. Sometimes there are underlying political or sectarian tensions. The term often applies to matches between two teams from the same city or region, but it is sometimes used to refer to matches between big clubs from the same country. Derbies are usually treated as the most important matches by the fans, players and clubs, regardless of position in the league table, et cetera.
The film ''
Green Street'' embodies the spirit of derbies when one of the characters refers to the West Ham United–
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
rivalry as that of Israel against Palestine. Of course this film does focus on the mostly past era of
hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
, however its depiction of matchday passion shows just how important derby day is to fans. When it comes to derbies, the culture of football thrives and shines in all its colours. ''
How Soccer Explains the World
''How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization'' (also published as ''How Football Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization'') is a book written by American journalist Franklin Foer. It is an analysis of the i ...
'' is a perfect source into how derbies emerged and what they mean to the community.
Players
Celebrities
Such is the popularity of football that some players become better known for their 'off-the-pitch' activities. The celebrity status is such that advertisers and sports goods manufacturers hire them to sponsor their products. The Brazilian footballer
Pelé is such a player. He was so admired as a player during his time that he went on to become a
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
ambassador, as well as being a spokesman in advertisements for many different companies. He also spent some time in politics in Brazil. Brazilian striker
Ronaldo
Ronaldo is a Portuguese given name equivalent to the English Ronald. It became a common name in all Portuguese-speaking countries, being also prevalent in Italy and Spanish-speaking countries. People
Notable people known as Ronaldo include:
As ...
was chosen as a goodwill ambassador for the
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
in 2000 as he had the highest global appeal among sportspeople.
Former
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award presented annually by the sport's governing body, FIFA, between 1991 and 2015 at the FIFA World Player Gala. Coaches and captains of international teams and media representati ...
and
African Footballer of the Year
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served a ...
secured most votes in the first round of the 2005 Liberian presidential election, but was defeated in the run-off ballot. He was
elected President 12 years later.
![サッカー元日本代表 (30907917805)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%83%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC%E5%85%83%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E4%BB%A3%E8%A1%A8_%2830907917805%29.jpg)
Another football celebrity is the English footballer
David Beckham. He has been perceived as a trend-setter in England due to a history of frequent hairstyle changes. He is also married to the former
Spice Girl Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. Wi ...
, and his relationship difficulties were widely reported in the UK press in 2004 and 2005. Statues have been made of him, notably at a Buddhist temple as well as made out of chocolate. Beckham was for a long time an
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...
model, famous for his underwear advertisements.
In late 2009, Beckham was replaced by
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
as Armani's primary footballer/model. Nine of the top ten most followed sportspeople on Facebook are footballers, including the top six, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Beckham,
Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. A prolific goalscorer and renowned ...
,
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian retired professional association football, footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deplo ...
and
Kaká, with Cristiano also the most followed person. Cristiano, Messi and Neymar are the
three most followed sportspeople on Instagram, and all 3 in the top 12 most followed people.
Many other players have also become celebrities and are treated as heroes by the fans. Retired players, such as
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker (; born 30 November 1960) is an English former professional footballer and current sports broadcaster. He is regarded as having been one of the greatest English strikers. His media career began with the BBC, where he has ...
, have become celebrities in their own right by working on television or radio. Even non-footballers who are connected to football have become famous through their association alone. For instance, after the
2002 World Cup, the head of the
Korea Football Association decided to run for president of South Korea.
Goal celebration
![Zenit-Kuban (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Zenit-Kuban_%283%29.jpg)
In football, a
goal celebration
In sports, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration is normally performed by the goalscorer, and may involve their teammates, the manager or coaching staff or the supporters of the team. Whilst r ...
is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a
goal
A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or ai ...
. The celebration is normally performed by the goalscorer, and may involve his or her teammates, the manager or coaching staff and/or the supporters of the team. Whilst referring to the celebration of a goal in general, the term can also be applied to specific actions, such as a player removing his shirt or performing a somersault. Many unique goal celebrations have been immortalized, such as in a statue (
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best player ...
), advertisements (
Ronaldo
Ronaldo is a Portuguese given name equivalent to the English Ronald. It became a common name in all Portuguese-speaking countries, being also prevalent in Italy and Spanish-speaking countries. People
Notable people known as Ronaldo include:
As ...
), postage stamps (
Pelé), magazine covers, or in video games:
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
,
Gareth Bale,
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
among many others are featured in the
''FIFA'' series.
Deaths
There have been deaths of players on the pitch and dugouts. On 5 September 1931,
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
goalkeeper
John Thomson suffered a skull fracture when he collided with
Rangers player Sam English during an
Old Firm
The Old Firm is the collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are by far the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply em ...
match. He was fatally injured and died later that day. On 10 September 1985,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
manager
Jock Stein
John "Jock" Stein (5 October 1922 – 10 September 1985) was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967. Stein also guided Celtic to nine successive Scottish ...
died of a heart attack as his team scored the equaliser against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
which virtually secured
qualification
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
for the
1986 World Cup finals. He was aged 62.
In 2003,
Cameroon international The Cameroon International is an international badminton tournament held in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This tournament established in 2017 and part of the Badminton Confederation of Africa
The Badminton Confederation Africa (BCA) (formerly known as Badm ...
player
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé (1 May 1975 – 26 June 2003) was a Cameroonian professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder for both club and country.
Having initially played for Canon Yaoundé, Foé went on to play professionally in Ligue 1 ...
collapsed during a
FIFA Confederations Cup match against
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and was pronounced dead later that day. His death was attributed to previously undiagnosed heart problems. On 8 September 1990,
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
's David Longhurst collapsed and died on the pitch during his team's match with
Lincoln City. The match was abandoned and York City paid tribute to the player later by naming a stand in his honour at their
Bootham Crescent
Bootham Crescent in York, England, was the home of York City football club and York City Knights rugby league club. With a capacity of 8,256, it is near the city centre, just over a mile from York railway station.
York City leased land at B ...
ground. In 2004, the
Hungarian international
The Hungarian International in badminton is an international open held in Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to th ...
Miklós Fehér
Miklós "Miki" Fehér (; 20 July 1979 – 25 January 2004) was a Hungarian professional footballer who played as a striker.
He spent most of his nine-year career in Portugal, representing four clubs and amassing Primeira Liga totals of 80 ga ...
died from a heart attack while playing for
Benfica against
Vitória de Guimarães
Vitoria or Vitória may refer to :
People
* Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian
* Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer
* Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer
* Steven Vitória ...
. On 9 September 2006,
Hinckley United player Matt Gadsby collapsed on the pitch and died during a Conference North match against
Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town A.F.C. is a professional association football club in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, which competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
The club is nicknamed the Sulphurites, due to the ...
. Medical tests revealed he died from a heart condition known as
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), most commonly is an inherited heart disease.
ACM is caused by genetic defects of the parts of hea ...
. On 25 August 2007,
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
player
Antonio Puerta
Antonio José Puerta Pérez (; 26 November 1984 – 28 August 2007) was a Spanish professional footballer who played solely for Sevilla.
Mainly a left midfielder who could also operate as an attacking left-back, he died on 28 August 2007 affec ...
suffered a heart attack during Sevilla's first match of the season – against
Getafe
Getafe () is a municipality and a city in Spain belonging to the Community of Madrid. , it has a population of 180,747, the region's sixth most populated municipality.
Getafe is located 13 km south of Madrid's city centre, within a flat ar ...
– while running back towards his own goal. Sevilla teammate
Ivica Dragutinović
Ivica Dragutinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ивица Драгутиновић, ; born 13 November 1975) is a Serbian former professional footballer. Mainly a central defender, he could also operate as a defensive left back.
After nearly one decade ...
and Sevilla medical staff subsequently rushed to his aid. He was admitted to hospital but died on 28 August, aged 22. Several players have also been struck by lightning while playing during sudden storms.
On 29 December 2007,
Motherwell captain
Phil O'Donnell suffered from a suspected heart failure on the pitch in a match against
Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
, as a result of which he died several hours later in hospital. At the end of that season, a tribute match was played in his honour between stars of the Motherwell team which won the Scottish FA Cup in 1991 and the Celtic team which won the League Championship in 1998, both of which O'Donnell starred for. Motherwell also named the main stand of their stadium in his honour.
Other disasters have occurred away from stadia. Most notably, the
Superga air disaster
The Superga air disaster occurred on 4 May 1949, when a Fiat G.212 of Avio Linee Italiane (Italian Airlines), carrying the entire Torino football team (popularly known as the ''Grande Torino''), crashed into the retaining wall at the back of th ...
of 1949 in which the entire
Torino
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
squad perished. Other examples include the
Munich air disaster which involved the 1958
Manchester United squad; the loss of the entire
Zambia national team squad in an
air crash in 1993; and a
plane crash in 2016 that killed 71 passengers, including almost the entire
Chapecoense first team squad.
Ethnicity
![Bel-Tun (5)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Bel-Tun_%285%29.jpg)
People of different races have sometimes not been accepted as players in European football. This is changing at the start of the 21st century due to society change as well as campaigning on the part of the football authorities in different countries. UEFA and the European Union support the
Football Against Racism in Europe
The Fare network (formerly Football Against Racism in Europe) is a network set up to counter discrimination in European football. The network was set up in Vienna, Austria, in February 1999 after a meeting of football supporters' groups, footbal ...
("FARE") project, which aims to stop racism. Many black players were not accepted initially into European football, even though the earliest black player was in 1881. However, in the 1970s onwards, players were increasingly accepted leading to a situation where many club and national teams have players of varying ethnicities. However, full acceptance in the bigger footballing nations did not occur until the 1990s, and racism still exists at some levels.
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils (; born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian football administrator and former player who is the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation from 11 December 2021. In his prime, Eto'o was regarded by pundits as one of ...
, for example, was once racially insulted by some
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. (), commonly referred to as Zaragoza, is a football club based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, that currently competes in the Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league system. Zaragoza holds its home games at L ...
fans at a match against
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, and threatened to quit the game if they kept insulting him. The same occurred to then-
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
defender
Marc Zoro in a match against Inter Milan.
In some countries, such as England and Germany, there have been strong campaigns to remove racism and intolerance from football on the pitch and on the terraces. In other countries, such as Spain and Italy, little action has been taken despite visible problems.
Female players
Women have been playing football as long as the game has
existed
Existence is the ability of an entity to interact with reality. In philosophy, it refers to the ontological property of being.
Etymology
The term ''existence'' comes from Old French ''existence'', from Medieval Latin ''existentia/exsistentia ...
. Their numbers, as both football players and fans, increased with the lifting of bans on women playing football and attending matches. The first
FIFA Women's World Cup was held in 1991, and has drawn worldwide television interest. Football matches now tend to have increased numbers of women supporters at the match, as well as watching matches at home or in pubs and bars. In the United States, the
Women's United Soccer Association
The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the Un ...
League was formed in 2001 in response to growing interest in women's football around that country. The league collapsed in 2003, but grassroots football was not affected, and the league relaunched in 2009 as
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 sea ...
. That league would also play for only three years, folding after its 2011 season; the semi-pro
WPSL Elite
The Women's Premier Soccer League Elite (WPSL Elite) was a women's semi-professional soccer league created by the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) to support the sport in the United States, both from continued interest by WPSL teams in profess ...
was established as a bridge to the current
National Women's Soccer League, which has played since 2013. The semi-professional
W-League continues to operate with 38 teams, as of 2006. Japan's women's league, the
L. League
The , commonly known as the , is a semi-professional women's association football
Women's association football, more commonly known simply as women's football or women's soccer, is a team sport of association football when played by women o ...
is well supported.
Globalization
For the best players, it means their services can be offered to clubs in a number of different countries and for compensation they have significant bargaining power in setting – the top players can make salaries of millions in a year, in addition to whatever endorsements they receive.
Teams have also benefited from this by being able to find a wider support base outside their traditional local areas. They can also scout for talent from a wider area. However, some European clubs have been accused of exploitation for doing this, as some African youngsters they have recruited for football teams have eventually been left with nothing after the team no longer requires their services. In the modern game, most clubs have multiple foreign players. This is especially evident in the English
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, where English players are outnumbered by their foreign counterparts. Some of football's leading authorities, including former FIFA president
Sepp Blatter, have argued this is detrimental to the game and an issue for supporters. Published academic research on this question (by David Ranc) seems to demonstrate the opposite.
Many teams attempt to build a complete team with players with ball control, others with strength, others with speed and others with vision. Traditionally, these skillsets are associated with different regions: ball control is regarded as a South American trait, speed is typically associated with African players and strength is typically seen as the European way. Therefore, prominent clubs scout these regions heavily for rising talent and advise them to have a trial with the club. Football has become a global sport where spectators from around the world can enjoy many different leagues. It has created international rivalries as well as community rivalries, but at the same time, it has the power to bring communities together. The FIFA World Cup brings the world of football together for an entire month. Through triumph and defeat it is a modern example of nationalism fused with globalisation. In
Franklin Foer
Franklin Foer (; born July 20, 1974) is a staff writer at ''The Atlantic'' and former editor of ''The New Republic'', commenting on contemporary issues from a liberal perspective.
Personal life
Foer was born in 1974 to a Jewish family. He is t ...
's ''
How Soccer Explains the World
''How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization'' (also published as ''How Football Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization'') is a book written by American journalist Franklin Foer. It is an analysis of the i ...
'', he explains that national teams create a tribal sense of nationalism amongst fans. This nationalism is shown in wearing football shirts, scarves and flying flags to express pride. When tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, the
African Cup of Nations and the
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
bring in supporters from nations around the world, this national pride is a part of globalism. This complex system is all a part of the global community of football. Football brings players, fans, coaches and clubs together from every part of the world. A prime example of the unifying power of football is the African nation of Ghana. It gained independence from British imperial rule in 1957 and used football to unite the nation. "
The Black Stars
The Ghana national football team represents Ghana in men's international football, doing it since 1957. The team consists of twenty players including the technical team. The team is nicknamed the Black Stars after the Black Star of Africa in ...
", as the national team became known as, hosted the first African Cup of Nations. Ghana has become one of the most passionate footballing nations in both Africa and the world, thanks to the unifying power of the sport.
Coaches are also becoming sought after internationally. This extends to national team coaches, once being native to their country, being brought in from other countries. Examples include Brazilian legend
Zico coaching
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
; Sven-Göran Eriksson, a Swede who coached England national football team, England; as well as Berti Vogts, a German who coached
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and Nigeria national football team, Nigeria. Another German, Otto Rehhagel, is practically a national icon in Greece after leading its national team to a shock victory in UEFA Euro 2004, and shortly afterwards turning down an offer to coach Germany national football team, Germany and remain coaching Greece. Dutch coach Guus Hiddink has a similar iconic status in South Korea after coaching South Korea national football team, its national team to the semi-finals of the
2002 World Cup, so much so that one of South Korea's World Cup stadiums was renamed in his honour shortly after the competition. The two most recent managers of the United States women's national soccer team, US women were born outside the country, although both had lived in the US for many years before becoming USWNT head coaches. Jill Ellis, who managed the USWNT to World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019, is a native of England who moved to the US with her family in her early teens, and current manager Vlatko Andonovski moved from North Macedonia to the US as a player in 2000 and has remained in the US ever since as a player and coach.
Role models
While many football players can be argued to be good role models, there have been headlines in the news regarding bad behaviour by footballers. Such is the influence of footballers, their activities tend to be reported widely in the media and also bring condemnation from the government of the countries in which they play.
Shortly prior to UEFA Euro 1996, the English national team gained notoriety for the "Dentist's Chair" incident. Several English players, including Paul Gascoigne and Teddy Sheringham, were photographed in Hong Kong after being seen in a bar pouring beer down each other's throats while the person sat on a dentist's chair. Later in his life, Gascoigne struggled with alcohol and drug addiction and had to be hospitalised for overdose on several occasions.
There have been incidents in England of players being accused of violence and misconduct off the pitch. Although on many occasions, players have been found not guilty, such cases are highly controversial. In 2001, two Leeds United F.C., Leeds United players, Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer, appeared in court over the assault of a student outside a nightclub. Woodgate was found guilty of affray. In 2002, three players (two from Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, John Terry and Jody Morris; and one from Wimbledon F.C., Wimbledon, Des Byrne) appeared in court on charges of affray. All were acquitted. On 20 May 2008, Joey Barton was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty for his part in an assault in December 2007. Barton was captured on CCTV punching a man 20 times.
In 2004, the Leicester City F.C., Leicester City trio of Paul Dickov, Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie spent a week in prison after being accused of sexual assault while on a training break at the La Manga resort in Spain with their team. However, the case was dropped after forensic evidence showed the accusations to be baseless. Although the players accused were ultimately innocent, the scandal led to a media outcry about footballers and their behaviour, especially with regard to children who look up to them.
Wayne Rooney was also attacked in the media for alleged visits to prostitutes in 2004, a claim he later admitted was true. Adrian Mutu admitted cocaine use after failing a drugs test, and Graham Stack (footballer), Graham Stack was charged with rape but cleared in 2005. Lee Bowyer again made headlines in 2005 when he and Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United teammate Kieron Dyer fought each other near the end of a Premier League match.
Clubs
![Aficionats (País Valencià, 1953)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Aficionats_%28Pa%C3%ADs_Valenci%C3%A0%2C_1953%29.jpg)
Clubs have moved from amateur status to, in some cases, big commercial concerns. Players have also managed to increase their earnings massively during this change.
Seating
After the Hillsborough Disaster, the British government commissioned the Taylor Report which resulted in standing being banned from many stadiums, including every top league stadium. Groups such as Stand Up Sit Down are campaigning for its return. This is very different from the situation in British non-league football and other leagues around the world where it is common to see terracing (standing areas) making up some, or even all of the room for fans.
Corruption
Allegations of corruption in football have always been present. This level of corruption can vary from country to country, and can involve players, agents and clubs. In 1980, Italian sides A.C. Milan, Milan and S.S. Lazio, Lazio Totonero 1980, were relegated to Serie B for match-fixing. The 2005–06 football season saw many corruption scandals. This included the 2005 Bundesliga scandal in Germany, with the refereeing scandals of Robert Hoyzer; and the Brazilian football match-fixing scandal involving Edilson Pereira de Carvalho. This was followed by the 2006 Serie A scandal ("Calciopoli") in Italy where five clubs were found guilty for interference in the referees work by their leaders and resulted in several top clubs being penalised (most notably, Juventus F.C., Juventus was relegated to Serie B for the 2006–07 season and lost many top players) and getting their own title stripped off from them and being rewarded to Inter Milan, who were runners-up; and Apito Dourado in Portugal, with FC Porto, Porto and Boavista F.C., Boavista involved.
Finance
In a 1997 address to the Oxford Union, then Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur chairman Alan Sugar described clubs' inability to manage the ever-increasing amounts of money in football as the "prune juice effect"; clubs expenditure continually outnumbering the profits coming from sponsorships and prize money.
While most grassroot clubs and lower division league teams struggle to make ends meet, large clubs can make significant revenue. For example, sides such as Manchester United and Real Madrid C.F., Real Madrid are considered amongst the richest in the world, with a global support base. Chelsea has also undergone a transformation, purchasing a number of expensive football players after itself being purchased by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
In 2008, Manchester City F.C., Manchester City became the richest club in the world after being bought-out by Emirati billionaire Sheikh Mansour, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyanan.
The catalyst for this change was the arrival of satellite television. Satellite TV companies paid massive sums for the rights to cover football matches, and in turn have recouped this investment from the many fans who are unable to catch the match in person. This benefits the "hardcore" and "casual" fan as they have more choice of which game they want to watch.
While some clubs do well out of the increased money in football, other clubs can get into trouble trying to keep up. Leeds United attempted to do this by spending a lot of money and were successful for a few seasons. However, the debts became unmanageable, the successful players were sold off and the team were eventually relegated twice, first from the Premier League to the EFL Championship, Championship, and then to EFL League One, League One.
Not all clubs do well out of television money. Clubs in lower leagues receive less money for matches and, if promoted to higher leagues, can have trouble matching the spending power of bigger clubs. This leaves them more likely to be relegated again.
Clubs from smaller countries also have problems with this issue. Due to their smaller population base they receive less money from television rights. This means they are comparative paupers compared to clubs from the bigger countries, and can lead to debt problems if they try to match spending in trans-national competitions. Some clubs have managed to buck the trend by training players through their youth academies, as well as making wise investments. Examples of these clubs include Porto and AFC Ajax, Ajax, although when these teams become successful, as in Porto's case winning the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, the players tend to get sold-off due to financial pressures.
In 2021, Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United became the richest football club in the world after being bought-out by the Politics of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund, sovereign wealth fund.
Society
![Nelson Mandela-2008 (edit)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Nelson_Mandela-2008_%28edit%29.jpg)
In many countries, football has ingrained itself into the national culture, and many parts of life revolve around it. While incarcerated in Maximum Security Prison, Robben Island, Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela reflected on how playing football "made us feel alive and triumphant despite the situation we found ourselves in". Many countries have daily football newspapers, as well as football magazines. The mood of regions and countries has been seen to be connected to football, especially during major tournaments where victory can bring happiness to the local community or country. Conversely defeat can lower spirits, and has been seen to be connected to mortality in the population. Withdrawal symptoms when the football season finished have also been reported. The economy can also be seen to be connected to major football tournaments, although the precise association is disputed.
The terms "soccer mom" and "soccer dad", popularised in the United States, refer broadly to a demographic group of parents with school-age children playing football.
Arts, literature and film
The popularity of football has been reflected in the arts, books and films. Books have been written dealing with the culture, such as violence, surrounding football, as well as detailed histories of events or rivalries. Many clubs have one or more Fanzine#Sport, fanzines, one example being TOOFIF.
Sunderland A.F.C., Sunderland and Aston Villa FC, Aston Villa were the subject of one of the earliest football paintings in the world – possibly the earliest – when in 1895 the artist Thomas M. M. Hemy painted a picture of a game between the teams at Sunderland's then ground Newcastle Road.
![Thomas Hemy Sunderland v Aston Villa 1895 A Corner Kick](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Thomas_Hemy_Sunderland_v_Aston_Villa_1895_A_Corner_Kick.jpg)
Some consider that British football's image of a nasty working-class pursuit was changed into something far more respectable after ''Fever Pitch'', a memoir by Nick Hornby about his life as an Arsenal F.C., Arsenal fan, was published. The book also provided Hornby's big break. It was later adapted very loosely into a film. Numerous films have been made including ''Bend It Like Beckham'', and ''The Football Factory (film), The Football Factory'', based on the book by John King, dealing with hooliganism and its relationship to socio-economic realities in England. In Germany, ''The Miracle of Bern'' (2003) revived the euphoria of the national team's victory in the 1954 FIFA World Cup, 1954 World Cup and was a huge hit.
In Venezuela, ''Hermano (film), Hermano'' tells the story of two brothers who have the goal of becoming professional football players.
One film that has a historical basis is ''Escape to Victory''. The film was based on the true World War II story where a FC Dynamo Kyiv, Dynamo Kyiv team, which defeated a German Luftwaffe team, was subsequently persecuted and some team members executed. The story has also been recounted in the book ''Dynamo'' by Andy Dougan.
Sticker albums and cards
![Troca de cromos da panini - 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Troca_de_cromos_da_panini_-_1.jpg)
Usually collected by children, a sticker album is a book where a collector sticks in pictures of players from different teams in a certain league. There may also be stickers of the clubs' stadia, badges or team photos. The most widespread are those that have been produced by Panini Group, Panini worldwide. In 1970, Panini published its first
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
sticker album for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Initiating a craze for collecting and trading stickers, UK newspaper ''The Guardian'' states, "the tradition of swapping duplicate [World Cup] stickers was a playground fixture during the 1970s and 1980s".
Under its ''Merlin'' brand, Topps#Topps Europe Ltd Products, Topps has held the licence to produce collectables for the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
since 1994, including stickers (for their sticker album) and Trading card#Association football, trading cards.
Launched in the 2007–08 season, Topps' Match Attax, the official Premier League trading card game, is the best selling boys collectable in the UK, and is also the biggest selling sports trading card game in the world.
Religion
Religious beliefs are also in common use throughout football. Some players are religious and can be seen to cross themselves before a game. In Africa, traditional belief rituals are used to help teams win important games. In Argentina, an official religion around the footballer Diego Maradona has been formed called "Iglesia Maradoniana".
German club FC Schalke 04, Schalke 04 has brought out their own Bible titled ''Mit Gott auf Schalke'' ("With God in Schalke"). This is an edition of the common Christian Bible along with spiritual texts by Christian Schalke players and officials.
Health
In July 2014, the Seychelles Health department blocked the football team from Sierra Leone from coming in to play qualification match for the Africa Cup of Nations.
This came at the cost of Seychelles national football team, Seychelles forfeiting that match and Sierra Leone national football team, Sierra Leone advancing.
The Africa Cup of Nations is known as the biggest football tournament in Africa.
Morocco asked to delay the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations due to Ebola, and then pulled out from hosting it entirely. Despite the scare, it held the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup. The Africa Cup of Nations is biennial 16-team football match for Africa. After this, the Confederation of African Football ("CAF") searched for a new host nation for the event. Equatorial Guinea took over as the new host for the event. Equatorial Guinea was previously barred from the competition, but was allowed back in after it became host, while Morocco national football team, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Liberia national football team, Liberia and Guinea national football team, Guinea were banned from the competition.
Commemoration
Shirt swapping
Shirt swapping is a long-held tradition in association football where players of opposing teams swap each other's Kit (association football), shirts at the end of a match.
The first shirt swap is believed to have taken place at a match between France national football team, France and England national football team, England on May 14, 1931; the French lost and asked to keep the English team's shirts as a Souvenir, memento.
Pennant swapping
Pennon, Pennant swapping is also a long-held tradition in association football. Captain (sports), Captains of both teams exchange pennants before Kick-off (association football), kick-off and then take them to their museum where they are displayed as a remembrance.
The exact origin of this tradition isn't clear. But pennant swapping took place in 1930 FIFA World Cup.
Starting XI photograph
Before Kick-off (association football), kick-off, a starting XI commemorative photograph is taken.
The exact origin of this tradition isn't clear. But this tradition has existed successfully since 1930 FIFA World Cup.At present, in International A match, international A matches and international club matches such as
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, taking a starting XI commemorative photograph is included in match day protocols.
In historic matches, some teams took both starting XI photo and full squad photo, for example, Brazil national football team, Brazil in 2002 FIFA World Cup Final and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final.
Matchday transfer shirt
This tradition started in early 2000s. To commemorate matches such as international matches in
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
, Players wear special Kit (association football), shirt attached decal, transfer with match information.
대표팀 유니폼에 상대팀 국기 삽입, 사실 말은 됩니다
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See also
* Geography of association football
* Glossary of association football terms
*List of association football competitions
* Vuvuzela
References
External links
FootballCulture.net
– A website run by the British Council exploring Football Culture (Internet Archive copy).
FootballCulture.com
– Dutch Clothing label with supporters mentality since 2008.
Footballers are Idiots
– A website compiling the best of footballers' bad behaviour.
Football Against Racism in Europe
The Global Game – World Football, Women's Football, Media, Culture
It's a Funny Old Game: Explaining Curiosities from Poland's Football Culture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Association Football Culture
Association football culture,