Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, and Islamophobia in European Football : Symptoms, Sources, and Solutions

This book examines the prevalence of racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, and Islamophobia in European football. It provides critical assessments of selected policies, strategies, campaigns, and initiatives that have been developed by various stakeholders aimed at combating these discriminatory practices.

Bringing together leading football researchers, the book opens with a discussion of the historical context for racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, and Islamophobia in European football and outlines the key terms and core concepts that frame the study of this topic. The book then offers ten in-depth case studies of European countries, including England, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Each chapter describes and analyses the various manifestations of racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, and/or Islamophobia against the specific socio-historical, demographic, political and cultural context of the country before engaging with the responses of selected stakeholders. The case studies are followed by a critical account of supra-national responses, including the involvement of UEFA, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE). The book is rounded off by a cross-cultural, comparative analysis drawing out the key themes that define the problem of racism and discrimination in European football today.

The most up-to-date study of one of football’s most disconcerting and enduring issues, this book is fascinating reading for any student, researcher, policy-maker or practitioner with an interest in the sociology of sport, football and its fan cultures, issues of inclusion and exclusion in modern societies, European football and the relationships between sport and wider society.