Imagined communities in the global game: soccer and the development of Dutch national identity

Introduction:

-The style in which Dutch soccer was played during the 2006 World Cup was extremely important because it defines the individuality of Netherlands soccer and differentiates themselves from other countries.

-Our way of playing is more important than the result”(Van ’t Schip)

– Other countries judged the Dutch and critiqued their lack of individual style of play.

– In other countries around the world, their national identity is ingrained in soccer, but in the US, soccer hasn’t been a prominent part of their history so that is one possibility behind why the US doesn’t have the same deep seeded passion for soccer like other countries such as the Netherlands.

– In recent years, due to globalization, factors such as soccer are if anything more important in order to preserve the identities of nations.

Soccer style as national self-definition:

-During the 1974 World Cup, even though the Dutch team was defeated, the fact that they represented the Dutch nation’s individuality and uniqueness translated to the support of the rest of the nation, regardless of their loss.

-“This style, he argued, refelects essential qualities of Dutch players and is therefore necessary for the Dutch to be successful internationally”(Cruyff)

– The media also plays a role in maintaining the perception of how Dutch soccer should be played and reminds those of how past teams represented their country.

-The Dutch have forged a distinct football culture of their own which is also meant to translate to the national culture of the Netherlands.

Dutch imagination in global context:

-Nations like to consider themselves distinct and superior from the other, a notable trait of the US.

-The game of soccer is meant to promote the ideals, individuality, and superiority that the nation wishes to instill in its society.

 

Playing with tension: national charisma and disgrace at Euro 2012

-Tensions must have been quite present during the 2012 Euro Cup obviously because the eastern European powers were still heavily influenced by communism and did not share many of the same views as western powers.

-A strong divide of powers in the EU due to the recent economic crisis.

-There was the fear that tensions between nations would be translated through teams playing one another.

Three perspectives on football:

-Through things such as the single European act, fans could flow freely between countries to watch matches, which was meant to promote unity and diversity in Europe.

-“Hyper-Critical Theory competitions like Euro 2012 only serve to exacerbate violent rivalries between nations.”

-The notion of watching soccer is meant to evoke the desire for violence for the fans.

-Ironic that they highlight the “violence” and “brutality” of soccer while many in the US feel that it is a feminine sport

Post Soviet tensions at the Euros:

-There was the constant reminder that eastern European countries still help different ideals to the rest of the nations participating and racism also runs rampant in their societies which is still very present today as well.

– Russians and eastern European fans use soccer more as a platform to state their grievances against different races, ethnicities, and religions, rather than attending matches for the sole purpose of watching soccer.

– They also wished to promote the success of soccer in their country in order to promote the reputation of their nation so they can be considered as successful and equal to western European powers.