Football is rooted in the social fabric of our everyday lives, past and present, giving it a strong ability to aid political agendas.
Referee Michael Oliver (in blue) is abused by Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon during a 2018 Champions League tie. Afterwards, Oliver and his wife were sent abusive emails and texts, including death threats.
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As Euro 2024 kicks off, the governing body of European football is urgently trying to recruit thousands of new grassroots officials. Is football really in danger of running out of referees?
Volunteers load up a van with food for the next ‘mobile pantry’.
@SFoodbanks
Racism in football is a reflection of prevailing societal attitudes. When a prominent footballer is racially abused, the impact reaches far beyond the individual.
Declan Rice playing for England.
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The extent of the abuse suffered by Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior shows how enduringly unresponsive the country’s legal system, sporting officials and media have been.
Manchester City on the Premier League winner podium.
EPA/Peter Powell
Anti-racist programs and fines have failed to end racism in European soccer. Part of the problem is that Black players have little representation higher up the sport’s hierarchy.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds in celebratory mood.
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Where once religion was a dominant force in society, now many more people reserve their faith for sport. But could the church use this to build a new following?
Record breaker: Harry Kane celebrates a goal during the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
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One psychological explanation for Kane’s successes can be found in the concept of challenge and threat states, which explains why some athletes perform better than others under pressure.
France’s goalkeeper #01 Hugo Lloris (C) jumps for the ball during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between England and France at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, on December 10, 2022.
Jewel Samad/AFP
Sport has long been an unsafe place for LGBTQ+ players, but Jake Daniels’s coming out could change things for men’s football.
The documentary fails to accurately portray Sheryl Gascoigne as the victim of domestic abuse perpetrated by her then-husband, Paul Gascoigne.
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