Goal! Soccer in Italian and Global Culture and Society

Catalog description

Soccer, the most popular sport in Italy and one of the most popular in the world, is more than just a game. Deeply intertwined with Italy’s political, social, and cultural evolution, soccer provides a lens through which we can reflect on a range of issues that are both local and global. Starting with the origins of Italian soccer in the late 1800s, this course traces the evolution of the game into the 21st century. It explores the rise of the “Italian school,” its decline in a globalized world, and its rejuvenation with the emergence of women’s soccer. This course examines the uniqueness of the Italian approach to the game, marked by a balance between creativity and defense. It charts how politics has appropriated soccer, from Mussolini to Berlusconi, and delves into the violent world of soccer fandom, the ultras, and their relationship with organized crime. Along with this, it traces the romantic stories of the forgotten Hungarian masters of the inter-war period, the 1980s fairytale of Verona F.C., and the cult of “Saint” Diego Armando Maradona.