Football and globalization

Résumé du document

“The world is a global village in which everything tends to be known. Or at least, can be known. Universal references exist, people who can be identified at once from Tokyo to Berlin, via Los Angeles, Dakar, Buenos Aires or Melbourne. But football is the most globalized phenomenon. Georges W. Bush, Bin Laden, Pope or the Dalai Lama, Madonna or Youssou N'Dour are universally known (and variously appreciated). Yet Zidane's, Beckham's and Ronaldinho's fame and popularity largely outstrip them. Football is well and truly the archetypal of globalization”

Boniface, Football et Mondialisation, Armand Colin, Paris, 2006, p.14

This quotation sums the strong interaction which binds globalization and football. As globalization is considered as a process which makes universal something particular, modern football is globalized. It empowers players and coaches to an incredible level of popularity throughout the world, with emblematic figures such as José Mourinho or Cristiano Ronaldo. Football is gathering together a community of more than 270 million players, and lots more fans, all bound by the same passion. That is why the term global makes sense. The stake of the subject will be to see how football will be affected by globalization.

Three English players, a Czech, a Portuguese, a Nigerian, a Ghanaian, a German, a Ukrainian, a French and an Ivorian were composing the Chelsea squad in 2007. Whereas football was known as a strong catalyst for identities matter (we can quote the racist and xenophobe Chelsea fans group, the Head-hunters), this composition illustrates a great undermining of football nature. Indeed, Premier League clubs were all known for their strong local and regional identity, so that globalization appears as a total upheaval of perspectives.

Extraits

[...] Though globalization also impacts football through the globalization of capitals in football that leads to the implementation of a rule of money and business on football. The matter is to understand what leads football to adhere to this economic market, and how football is imprisoned by this logic. Globalization of funds and rule of money Toward the “Rule of money” a. From Newton Heart to the Red Devils Many football clubs were founded as part of project of social entertainment, purchasing corporatist or associative aims, as amateur clubs still are. Likewise Manchester United hasn't always been the richest club of the world. [...]

[...] The stakes are even reinforced by the media pressure we reported in the previous developments. Economic competitiveness and football Taxation and incomes impact of football a. Taxation variations To attract, or even to retain a player, football clubs need to take into account the cost of players; a need which leads to a concurrence of the fiscal regimes. Indeed, the less a fiscal system is restrictive, the more a club can recruit top players and ensure good performances. Therefore, competitiveness is at stake for clubs. [...]

[...] The Ultra movement was deeply affected by globalization. Indeed, as the movement is all over Europe denounced as violent (whereas it isn't in its principles), transnational ties bind Ultras groups all across Europe. The Santos affair is there emblematic as it sparked off a wave of support all over Europe (banners “Libertad para Santos” was seen in almost all the European countries, except England). That proves that media globalization led to the creation of a global stadium, in which every faction is fighting each other, but is also ready to support its enemy when necessary, support which can put a high pressure on the authorities as it did notably in the Santos affair. [...]

[...] Phenomenon of imitation is major too: when the supporters of Cavese (Serie C club in Italia) sang their Dale Cavese, they might not have imagined that the song will become the new trendy song in most of the European stadiums. But the globalized stadium also leads supporters to organize rampages in foreign countries, even if their team isn't involved. In 2007, Dutch fans of Utrecht came in Paris and fought against Parisian fans during a French championship game, only motivated by violence and confrontation. So, global stadium is a reality in the football world. We can thus imagine that this global stadium provides great opportunities to political actors to promote their ideas and conceptions. [...]

[...] Globalized football needed a global language: it sacred tactics. The statement is a little further true with the national teams. Indeed as players are playing in different championships, in which they play with foreign players, a national team may regroup players without the right same football culture. As a consequence, tactic imposes its rules and restricts the players in order to produce a coherent game: the whole team attacks, the whole team defends. That leads to stereotypes for each post: a comparison of major clubs players shows great similarities between the types of player at each position. [...]