Football and Racism How Colonialism Shaped the Modern Game

<p><b>Explosive and groundbreaking study of racism in football and its roots from award-winning journalist Ronny Blaschke.</b></p><p>Racism in football is reduced to neo-Nazis and monkey chants. But if we want to understand its origins, we have to go back further. Drawing on more than 100 interviews from five different continents, this hard-hitting investigation reveals how:</p><ul><li>Colonial powers such as Britain and France wanted to ‘civilise’ their subjects through sport</li><li>Their racial theory has long since been debunked, yet racist thinking still characterises European football today</li><li>Black people are often considered powerful athletes, but rarely get the opportunity to become coaches or board members</li><li>Colonial thinking still persists in talent scouting, sponsorship and the media</li><li>Racism is blighting football in Britain, Brazil, Namibia and India among other places</li></ul><p>At the centre of this book are people – players, fans and activists – who stand up to racism with courage and grit. In England, black referees are networking to have a stronger voice. In Brazil, reporters are producing a podcast for Afro-Brazilian issues in sport. Above all, the question is: how can racism in football be pushed back? </p>