Europeanisation from below? Football spectatorship, mediatisation and European identity Arne Niemann / Alexander Brand European Football and Collective Memory: Transnational Media Events Stuttgart, 22 February 2013 Overview 1 Europeanisation Football Governance and Identity Matters 2 Europeanisation from below? Fandom, Spectatorship & Identity 3 The UEFA Champions League as Transnational Media Event(s) 4 Researching Fandom and Spectatorship Dynamics 1
1 Europeanisation Football Governance and Identity Matters Europeanisation of Football narrow view = domestic changes in policy substance (e.g. the contours of national sports policies through ECJ rulings), institutions as well as processes of interest representation as a result of EUlevel legislation and EU political decision-making procedures > Bosman ruling (nationality issue), transfer system, broadcasting rights more encompassing view = adaptations and transformations through actions of transnational societal actors such as football clubs, football associations or the media (within the context of EU regulation) which have contributed to the construction of transnational spaces > UEFA Champions League, transnational networks, e.g. G-14 (later: ECA) 1 Europeanisation Football Governance and Identity Matters 2
1 Europeanisation Football Governance and Identity Matters and a Hypothesis/Idea whether the Europeanisation of the governance structures of football hasn t also stimulated a Europeanisation of perceptions held by football fans and hence, their identities Europeanisation pressures which could also have an impact on the level of identities: more Europeanised nationality regimes (players and coaches) normalisation establishment of a de facto European league of top clubs (vs. a pure tournament ) different peers/peer competition potential impact: breaking-up of existing stereotypes; cultural diversities could be given a more positive expression; reinforcing European orientations/allegiances 1 Europeanisation Football Governance and Identity Matters and a Hypothesis/Idea Europeanisation patterns, such as increasingly Europeanised players markets the establishment of a de facto European league and media attention shifting to such European competition have incrementally affected perceptions on behalf of top football clubs representatives [ elite ] Does this effect also hold for football spectators and supporters? [ from below ] 3
2 Europeanisation from below? Fandom, Spectatorship & Identity Identity & (Fan-)Identity-Dimensions group identities as collectively held self-understandings which are grounded in frames or narrative constructions delineating the boundaries of a network of actors (e.g. Eder 2009) Is there also a Europeanised definition of communities of belonging rather than a purely national one (importance of national delineations: players, fans)? Do fans/spectators also command Europeanised frames of reference: where is peer competition located, why is European competition deemed important, are European-wide networks formed, are there Europeanised patterns of regular fan travelling? 2 Europeanisation from below? Fandom, Spectatorship & Identity Football Identity Matters & European Identity from below also = decidedly everyday, lifeworldly, nonpolitical context European Identity Research in Political Science usually focused on: shared values, ethical self-understandings, political norms approval of European political integration knowledge a/o evaluation of EU political system and symbols convergence of political news agendas (coverage and framing) Which issue happens to be more in the minds of Europeans constitutional patriotism towards the Community Treaties or Champions League finals? 4
The Peculiarity of the UEFA Champions League Champions League differs from tournaments of European national teams: competition of thoroughly internationalised/europeanised squads being top not necessarily for the sake of being the best representative of nation XYZ, but being best among in continentwide competition of top performers (clubs reps, but spectators?) thoroughly mediatised (series of) event(s) which regularly draws mass audiences (normalisation, not the extraordinary event) The Peculiarity of the UEFA Champions League [Through the Champions League,] we might be witnessing the gradual emergence of a European public space. An elusive holy grail for believers in a post-national, political identity for our continent, a European public space involves the idea that citizens who share concerns can communicate directly across national boundaries. It would be absurd to suggest that the Champions League is succeeding where the European parliament has often failed, but the fact that millions of Europeans now watch the same games at the same time must surely count for something. Jonathan Hill (2008), ex-head of EU Office at UEFA 5
The Peculiarity of the UEFA Champions League modest goals of analysis of audience rates: continent-wide mass appeal (compared to mega events like World Cups) mass appeal not wholly reducible to being a proxy for national(ist) flag waving (high ratings not only when team of domestic league is involved) conceptual bridge between Europeanisation (of governance & structures of the game) and possible dynamics of identity change at level of supporters which are to be explored Mass Appeal of Champions League Games 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Most watched CL event Most watched sport event - German TV (data from AGF) 2006-12 - 2006, 2010: World Cup games with German national team - 2008, 2012: European Cup games with GER - 2008: CL peaks with non-ger final, all others with German club s participation 6
Mass Appeal of Champions League Games GER: sensational audience share between 50 and 70% (i.e. 15-19 mio Germans, public viewing not counted) Mass Appeal of Champions League Games ManU-Real (CL quarter finals 2003) audience rates: ESP: 54% (8,1 mio) UK: 45% (10,9 mio) France also 6,8 mio Viewer Track Report 2010: most watched sport event globally in 2009 = CL final (total audience of 206 mio) Group stage, Oct 2012: ESP: 37% (7,1 mio) NL: 23% (1,5 mio), compared to 33% (2,2 mio) for Ajax the next day 7
4 Researching Fandom and Spectatorship Dynamics the 1.000.000 -question identity dynamics (communities of belonging, frames of reference) require a ethnographic a/o discourse-analytic take is about how fans/spectators articulate their participation in such events and their overall relation to watching football as an everyday activity our approach: to analyse written texts (online fan fora, message boards; other fan publications) with a qualitative discourse analysis necessary to have an adaptive instrument, not wholly predetermined analytical categories 4 Researching Fandom and Spectatorship Dynamics What is the a[t]traction of being involved with those cheating bastards from mainland Europe? 8
4 Researching Fandom and Spectatorship Dynamics Money, recognition, best players in the world playing for your team 4 Researching Fandom and Spectatorship Dynamics to come back to the initial idea What are Europeanised perceptions articulated, what are identity-relevant, Europeanised narratives/meanings attached? competition not solely/primarily interpreted in national(ist) terms = also peer competition instead of mainly nationalist stereotyping & flag waving (who are deemed the others and why?) normalisation of (interest in) European-wide competition, not an extra to more important national competition (priorities, why?) going Europe as source of indulgence (cf. Millward 2006) reflections about the composition of squads (quality, not nationality of players involved, as leading topic?) 9
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