Football Fandom in Italy and Beyond

Football fans are passionate and devoted followers. They are also creators and dissenters, performers and producers. This volume analyses football fandom through the media that fans use to construct fandom itself. The Italian football stadium has a particularly rich history as a place of collective celebration, mourning, support and political dissent. This volume addresses the beauty and humour as well as the fear and anger that are conveyed in the spectrum of media as fans attempt to assert themselves as material and spiritual 'owners' of the club of their affection. This book was originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.

Matthew Guschwan has written extensively about Italian football fans. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana where he occasionally lectures about fandom and media culture.

1. Introduction 2. Fandom face to face 3. Performance in the stands 4. Print media: circulating fandom 5. Broadcast media: live and in-person 6. New media: online fandom 7. The football brand dilemma 8. Fan politics: dissent and control at the stadium 9. Conclusion