Footballization and Its Discontents

Prapatsorn Misa (Ple) 5203640700

Footballization and Its Discontents1 Every four year the cheering glories waken people. Every year some people are waiting for an opening season. Every weekend some people are rushing to the fields. What is it that lights these phenomena? It is football. Football and Colonialism Although the period of colonialism was ended, remain the legacy of colonial period. 'Post-colonialism (or often postcolonialism) deals with the effects of colonization on cultures and societies'2. Football and the evolution of football took place in Britain in 1863 and was institutionalized in Europe. Football was imported to colonies. Postcolonialism illustrate how colonized countries inherit the legacy from former colonialism. The 2010 soccer World Cup, South Africa gained its largest international attention since the anti-apartheid struggles of the 1980s3. Football as a nation-building campaign in the 2010 FIFA World Cup held by South African. It was posted under the model of multiracial rainbow society. What organizers have emphasized about the nation building potential of the world cup while the nation building process has been tried many times through historical epochs*. It was proved by far as what Michael Billig has termed ' banal nationalism'*. By trying to promote unity within the continent, FIFA launched Oh Africa, is a song performed by Akon, released from 2010 FIFA World Cup Album. Even though the song
1 2 3

The Title of this paper was inspired by the book title of globalization and its discontents written by Joseph e. Stiglitz Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin, Postcolonial Studies: The Key Concepts, London: Routledge,

2000, p. 186

Footballization and Its Discontents

Prapatsorn Misa (Ple) 5203640700

was sung by the Senegalese-American artist who might be represented the African continent, the language used was English. What FIFA was trying to do was to generalize people in South Africa, by presenting the rainbow theme in this music video. It seems that colonialism does not end with the end of colonial occupation, because, thought South Africa held the 2010 football world cup, the masters of the game are the Europeans since the rules and regulations were sent directly from the Europeans. Football: Imaginated Communities People are different in term of culture. The identity conflicts can hardly be avoided. Football is a central language to communicate to other people involved. No matter what language one is speaking. Football Clubs might be communities of fellow believers. When supporters gather together, they create some kind of we-ness. People can electronically feel the sense of belongings through television, internet or social network without needing to know or see each other faces. The we-ness feelings sometimes create difference among groups of people. It is homogenization and at the same time heterogenization. For example, in national football teams, people support their countries and see the players as their fellow, on the other hand, they label the opposition as enemy in the game. Christiano Ronaldo might be portrayed as a hero when he scored for Portugal, at the same might be portrayed as a devil in the eyes of an opposition team.

Footballization and Its Discontents

Prapatsorn Misa (Ple) 5203640700

Football and Politics Football, like any other sports, cannot be separated from politics as Robert Gilpin concludes that politics determine economic activity, and that therefore, transnational actors are influenced by peculiar patterns of international politics. (p.412). Footballs world is governed by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The FIFA is more global than the United Nations in term of its memberships since the FIFA has a membership of 208 countries while the UNs membership is 192 countries.* Does football thrive on hegemony? If one look at the hegemonic English Premier League, the richest professional league in the world; the monopoly position in UEFA Champion League of the so-called Big 4. Football and Capitalism Football is threatened by Capitalism and is getting worth nowadays because of its fans that make football more than just a game but for the business. Money goes where a profit lies. The most dynamic agents in contemporary football's world might be Transnational Cooperations (TNCs), particularly, Transnational Football Clubs and merchandise companies such as Nike, Adidas. Football Clubs construct brand identities and brand royalty to supporters. With help of transnational communication channels of contemporary football media, each club is formally instituted with official bans. Transnational media provides the business infrastructure for the flow of football information. Clubs have their own channels to communicate with its fans. The clubs members have emotional ties with their team.

Footballization and Its Discontents

Prapatsorn Misa (Ple) 5203640700

One can dream of being a football player. It is an opportunity to do the thing that you want, and gain a large amount of money at the same time. The player's unique playing style may attach the Big Club such as Christiano Ronaldo, the most expensive player who transferred from Manchester United, England to Real Madrid FC in Spain. Iconic Status is one of driving factor for football clubs to determine a transfer value, because the club would benefit from all aspects of commercial activities, increasing tickets sales. Christiano Ronaldo, 26, the famous young guy did not become a superstar within one day. He must have been working so hard in practicing his style. Unlike capital that can be transferred from place to place within a blink of an eye. By Ethnoscaps, I mean the landscapes the landscape of persons who make up the shifting world nations in the scent which we live: tourists, immigrants, refugees, exiles, guest-workers, and other moving groups and persons constitute an essential feature of the world and appear to affect the politics of the between nations to a hitherto unprecedented degree.(p.50) If football is considered as a beautiful game, should it raise the quality of life? In the sport industries, the production of goods is largely achieved in developing countries heirs by companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma. These companies have to take part of the responsibility for the low wages, long hours, lack of job security, and dismal and dangerous working conditions. Transnational corporations in the sport industry drawing on developing countries work force of produce sportswear and sport equipment; the international sport federations that are increasingly finding new sources of capital from the sale of broadcasting rights; and

Footballization and Its Discontents

Prapatsorn Misa (Ple) 5203640700

the increasing flow of football player and coaches where country of birth and origin are in longer a limitation on where the players play or where the coaches coach.* Football is Life, Life is football In the football's world, Life and line is not separate. To Players, Football is a Life. And every Life should be protected and controlled by law and regulation. Thus, Red and Yellow cards are instrument to punish those who break the law, and, referee as a sovereignty who decides whether one should leave or stay the nation-state. Once players are in the field, they have rules to follow. But once they are off the field, they might follow what their heart dictate. Global markets in finance and advanced services partly operate through a regulatory umbrella that is not state centered but market centered. More generally, the new geography of centrality is transnational and operates in good part in electronic spaces that override all jurisdiction (p.73).