Category Archives: News

Un Nouveau stade de foot à New York : conséquences locales

Les conséquences politiques de foot sont souvent nationales et internationales. Par conséquent, c’est souvent possible d’utiliser le foot comme aperçu du psychisme national et des affaires étrangères. Considérez l’équipe nationale française comme microcosme d’une société idéale qui intègre chaque partie diverse de l’ancien empire, et les fêtes en Afghanistan comme symbole du désir d’être affranchi… Read More »

Bye-Bye Bielsa: The Governance of Soccer and Chile’s Forking Path

Recent news reports from South America indicate that the coach of Chile’s national team, Marcelo Bielsa, will be leaving his post with immediacy.  To the casual observer, this comes as a shock.  Bielsa has been credited with restoring discipline and professionalism to a national soccer association known more in recent years for scandal than for… Read More »

Robert Enke Suicide

Robert Enke German goalkeeper Robert Enke recently commited suicide. He was suffering from depression associated with the pressures of football and “the fear of failure.” As we have learned in this course, football is followed with extreme, sometimes fanatical passion, especially on the international level. However, while a player can become a national hero by… Read More »

Racial tension in Glasgow

Here’s a link describing an incident in which Maurice Edu, an American playing for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League, suffered racial abuse from his own supporters, despite not even playing in a loss. According to the article, it was not the first time this had happened.  Having written about the Celtic-Rangers rivalry in my… Read More »

Soccer and Homophobia

Homophobia has no place in sport–though it often finds its way onto the field.  It presents itself in different ways and at all levels.  College athletics carefully tip-toe around the subject and professional leagues don’t know what to do with it.  To those who are unaware of the homophobia rampant in sports culture they may… Read More »

The Legend and the Let Down

This was the title of an article in The New York Times yesterday.  The article discusses the rise and current fall of Diego Maradona and the Agentina soccer population’s general dissatisfaction and disenchantment with Maradona as the coach for the national team.  And while Argentina did just qualify last week for the 2010 World Cup… Read More »

Charlie Davies’ tragedy of the unknown

USA Soccer has experience a wide range of emotions in this eventful week. The joy at World Cup qualification in Honduras was tempered quickly by the tragic car crash that has left Charlie Davies in the hospital, needing multiple surgeries. I’ve tried to make sense of the entire situation in an article I wrote for… Read More »