Football and Fascism: The National Game Under Mussolini, by Martin Simon
The intrusion of politics into domestic and international soccer is nothing new; many governments lender their support to football to achieve some sort of means. However, Italy under the pre-World War II dictatorship provides a particularly apt example, as the author Mr. Simon notes. By the 1920s, football in Italy had become a national institution that was highly esteemed. Know as calcio in Italian, the game was very popular and engendered much loyalty and fanaticism.
On the other hand, much structural and administration reforms were needed in the game. Many ministerial aspects of the game were inept. One move in attempt to solve this dilemma was to move the structural center to Milan. I found the choice of this city unsurprising. Milan, and other cities in northern Italy, were always the leading centers of Italian industry and economics. While Rome might be the political, and to some degree, the cultural hub of Italian, Milan is the financial heart of the peninsula. The move to Milan caused controversy nonetheless.
To be precise, a conflict arose between larger and smaller clubs, as “self-interested” each club might have been. Crowds were incredibly difficult to control as well. Many were highly disorderly and refereeing became a dangerous profession. This tumult was perpetuated by print media’s sensationalization of the sport. When the fascists came into power with Benito Mussolini, a new panel of fascist officials were appointed and more restricting of calcio took place in Italy.
As I was reading, I found that the fascists were used football in highly opportunistic way. As a popular sport that easily influenced the masses and appealed to a fiery sense of loyalty, Mussolini used soccer to promote fascism in Italy. I must comment on the marriage between football and government aims. Clearly, Italian soccer at this time was distinct in its becoming propaganda for the fascist state. Yet, the moves taken were almost sly. I’m skeptical as to the Italian fan’s conception of the hidden methods used in soccer during this time to spread political doctrine. I do feel, however, many responded to the nationalistic fervor added to soccer at this time.
Under the new government, a national league was created for the first time with some recognition of regional clubs. New tournaments were created. This process was a more efficient running of soccer than previously seen. Here is another point of distinctive of fascist football in Italy. A player transfer system was adopted too. Strict “behavioral” guidelines were set for players as well. Furthermore, soccer was used a social tool. This manipulation of the sport was something that was not seen as much in the past.
Athletic positions were restricted to Italians. A ban on foreign players was instituted as well. Foreign born men of Italian ancestry were permitted to play for Mussolini. Many returned from Brazil to find playing opportunities in Italy. Their national devotion was questioned in South America. In fact, it is feasible to go so far as to say that there were moves to “Italianize” everything. Another move, Mussolini’s football placed a greater on acquiring wins in games. The media capitalized on this new push as well. I believe this new focus of soccer was political. Aimed at bolstering the superiority of the Italian race, part of that method was assuring victory in international tournaments. Perhaps this new pressure on proving Italian prominence was effective. Two of Italy’s FIFA World Cup titles were won during the fascist years. Naturally, this is not to suggest that racial bans contributed to this, but a heightened sense of patriotism and greater scrutiny in defeat. Clearly, Italy’s opportunistic leadership found an exploitable mean available for them. And calcio was the perfect mean by which to illustrate the ideals of a fascist society and heighten the status of the state.
Additional Quotations
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“To complement its exemplary athletes, monumental modem stadia and a self-proclaimed ability to put on a good show, the regime’s publicity campaibFJl knew no bounds as the tournament was commodified to a new level.”
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“The nationalization process was also reflected in the regime’s attempt to Italianize or manufacture a new history ofthe game through words and symbols.”
Questions
- Does the Italian fascist adoption of prejudice, or xenophobia, in soccer reflect a new type of exclusivism in sports or merely another version of the same aversion for ethnic undesirables or perceived inferiors in sports?
- While the prominent role of the government in soccer was clear in Italy, to what extent could one debate that the media played just as potent of a part in the transformation of calcio in Italy? Was sensationalism beneficial to calcio and do those ends justify the desired means?
- Are nationalism and soccer inherently connected on the international level?