When Fascism took to the field
The 20th century will be best remembered for a lot of things ranging from Einstein to Hawkings, from Hitler to Gandhi, from Stalin to Gorbachev. It lay witness to the two world wars,oversaw the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, watched ideological differences create a wall that divided a city for a good part of 40 years and watched as Hiroshima and Nagasaki crumbled. It was a century of revolutions and political uprisings, of assassinations and murders, of sex, booze and drugs.
The year was 1934, and Benito Mussolini, Europe's first Fascist Dictator was hell bent on using the world cup as a means to spread fascism and his ideology in the world. The fact that Italy was chosen as the hosts was no coincidence either. It was one of those events in sporting history whereby sport was used as a means to overt political gain. In a time when Europe had seen a certain Adolf Hitler rise to prominence and a growth in pro-fascist sentiment, Mussolini chose to strike the iron when it was hot and thus marked, what i believe was the first time sport and politics underwent a crossover.
The event began on a disappointing note as Uruguay who were the defending champions refused to compete in the tournament marking it the first time a defending champion wasn't defending its title. Nevertheless excitement was rife for the event and from the very outset a clear fascist propaganda was written all over the event. A herculean looking trophy, arms raised to replicate a nazi or pro fascist salute, it was evident Mussolini was totally invested in using football as a tool for fascist propagation. Sure, Stalin was known for his usage of sports as a medium of political representation but he had never allowed his Soviet athletes to compete internationally.
The tournament itself was marred by controversy, questionable refereeing and claims of Italian stranglehold over the tournament; thanks to their football loving dictator. The quarter final between the Italians and the Spanish was of immense controversy whereby referee Louis Baert was deemed to have "let too many fouls go unpunished" and with a clear sense of inclination towards the Italian cause. The semi final between the Italians and the Austrians, heralded by many as the greatest team of their generation was marred by controversy too. Reports of Mussolini handpicking referees for matches were already gathering pace, and the fact that Swedish referee Ivan Eklind had dinner with Mussolini the night before the added fuel to an ever increasing fire. The Italians triumphed a goal to nil amidst a lot of controversy which included a touch(oops sorry ! interception) from the referee which allowed the Italian player to score. Even then, it was claimed the Italian player was blatantly offside.
What Mussolini effectively introduced into the game in the 1930's has gone from strength to strength in the world of football, rivalries have been shaped and eras have been defined. The Serie A, the top flight league of Italy in many ways has a strong fascist connection, so much so that its very existence dates back to its founding in 1929 by none other than Mussolini himself. A lot many Italian clubs have over the years grown a reputation of having right winged or left winged ultras. Lazio, for instance are popular for their notoriously right wing ultras. Clarence Seedorf, many claim refused to sign with Lazio solely because of its right winged ultras, the north Rome fan base of the club. Similarly Lilian Thuram, was close to signing for Lazio, but fears of being subjected to hostile treatment from the club fans drove him to the north of Italy, Turin to join the Old Lady of Juventus. Other lesser known clubs like Livorno too had extreme right wing fascists supporters in their ranks. This was a time when football had indeed proved to be the very essence of what the societal conditions of the time were. But the most prominent of them all were Lazio and AS Roma to an extent. Paulo Di Canio, one of those select football players who was a genius with the ball and an headliner when without it, for varying reasons. A hardcore fascist, he had fascist tattoos all over his body, and who can forget his infamous habit of giving the fascist salute every time he scored.
But this isn't to say that this was an Italian Phenomenon only. Hitler, not to left behind adapted a similar regime in Germany having realised the role played by sport in propagating a new world order. The 1936 Olympic Games and all the controversy it carries with it is one of the many instances where sport served as Hitler's vehicle of change. And then there is the infamous Spanish General, Franco. A hardcore Fascist, he used the "EL CLASICO" as the means of fulfilling his own agenda. Knowing that Catalonia was at the heart of the Republican Resistance, and Barcelona was the heart and soul of Catalonia, he used this as his window of opportunity. It began with the assassination of Joseph Garriga, the then chairman of Barcelona. This was followed by stripping of the Catalan flag from the club's crest and the ban of the usage of Catalan language. For a long period of time, he succeeded, with the resistance well and truly a failed attempt. Franco followed this by building up Real Madrid as the conservative, totally Catholic rival to the 'ultras' of Barcelona. He even intervened in the club's working personally, one instance being the signing of the great Alfredo De Stefano. No wonder the Real-Barca rivalry is one of the biggest, if not the biggest rivalry in club football.
Fascism has since seen its power and importance wane down over the years, specially after the Axis defeat in the second world war. That's not to say that football doesn't have its share of fascist elements anymore. Infact in many ways, 82 years after Mussolini first merged football and fascism, a new wave of fascist support has creeped into the footballing world. This was most notably on display in the recently concluded 2106 European Championships. Teams like Poland, Hungary, Croatia have a strong fascist support base. Ukrainian fans have been clearly seen sporting Swastika tattoos and hell broke loose when in a Euro qualifier between Italy and Croatia at Zagreb, a Nazi Swastika symbol was visibly drawn on the pitch.
While its safe to say, a Mussolini or Hitler or Franco styled fascism would never be as dominant in football as it was in the last century, but its a trend too deep rooted to ever go away totally. Fascism will live on and football will continue to have elements in it that would present an alternative approach to a modern society. For every conservative Bayern Munich, there would be Lazio, for every Paris St. Germain there would be a AS Roma. While a Pablo Di Canio is very unlikely to pop up again, the beautiful game would always have its share of controversies, it would always merge with politics and ideologies, for this like Bill Shankly said,was a game which stretched between the boundaries of life and death. Football isn't merely a sport, it never was, it always was and will be 'more than just a game'
But among all other things the 20th century was the century of football. Beginning with the 1930 world cup, football grew in stature and over the course of the subsequent decades consolidated itself as a global sport. Whilst it was always a part of popular culture, football really began growing into a global phenomenon in the 20th century, most notably in Europe and South America. What began as a source of entertainment quickly transitioned into a hobby and ultimately into the one platform for global representation. It became a medium of propagating a country in comparison to the others on the world stage. Subsequently as it became a part of the social setup, it came to be viewed as much more than a game where 22 people kicked a ball around for 90 minutes. Perhaps Bill Shankly's famous quote "Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that." stands testimony to this fact. Maybe unknowingly so, but the late great Shankly touched upon that aspect of football few had envisaged or even thought of, that the game was multi layered, its impacts were far reaching and that the game could indeed serve a purpose greater than the sport itself, or in other words, send a message.
The event began on a disappointing note as Uruguay who were the defending champions refused to compete in the tournament marking it the first time a defending champion wasn't defending its title. Nevertheless excitement was rife for the event and from the very outset a clear fascist propaganda was written all over the event. A herculean looking trophy, arms raised to replicate a nazi or pro fascist salute, it was evident Mussolini was totally invested in using football as a tool for fascist propagation. Sure, Stalin was known for his usage of sports as a medium of political representation but he had never allowed his Soviet athletes to compete internationally.
The tournament itself was marred by controversy, questionable refereeing and claims of Italian stranglehold over the tournament; thanks to their football loving dictator. The quarter final between the Italians and the Spanish was of immense controversy whereby referee Louis Baert was deemed to have "let too many fouls go unpunished" and with a clear sense of inclination towards the Italian cause. The semi final between the Italians and the Austrians, heralded by many as the greatest team of their generation was marred by controversy too. Reports of Mussolini handpicking referees for matches were already gathering pace, and the fact that Swedish referee Ivan Eklind had dinner with Mussolini the night before the added fuel to an ever increasing fire. The Italians triumphed a goal to nil amidst a lot of controversy which included a touch(oops sorry ! interception) from the referee which allowed the Italian player to score. Even then, it was claimed the Italian player was blatantly offside.
How Ivan Eklind was selected to officiate the final left people scratching their heads. He was even invited to the "Fascist VIP Box" before the game. The match itself was an entertaining affair where Italy beat erstwhile Czechoslovakia 2-1.
The Italians were the world champions, the Azzuri paraded the pitch at Rome as a proud Mussolini applauded. The Black Shirt wearing fascists had won. Fascism was the norm, Mussolini its propagator. It was Mussolini's master plan, to present to the world, his new Italy, the world champions, his Fascist Italy.
Hosting the 1934 World Cup was Mussolini's big chance. He had the perfect opportunity to show of his country's mettle through the organization of the event as well as Italy's performance on the field. While the Azzuri's performance off the field- the organization of the event was under Mussolini's control, it was a surety that it would be classy. Azzuri's on field game though wasn't something Mussolini could control. But he made sure to use his power to have the final say- even the performance of his team. Referees were bribed, corruption was rampant and evident.
Hosting the 1934 World Cup was Mussolini's big chance. He had the perfect opportunity to show of his country's mettle through the organization of the event as well as Italy's performance on the field. While the Azzuri's performance off the field- the organization of the event was under Mussolini's control, it was a surety that it would be classy. Azzuri's on field game though wasn't something Mussolini could control. But he made sure to use his power to have the final say- even the performance of his team. Referees were bribed, corruption was rampant and evident.
Sport was something that belonged to the masses as it didn't just involve the people who were playing in the centre, but also the ones watching from the sidelines and rooting for their favorite, the people who were just as much a part of the game as the ones actually fighting to win it. The supporters was often referred to as the 12th man in the game and Mussolini was quick to understand this.
What Mussolini effectively introduced into the game in the 1930's has gone from strength to strength in the world of football, rivalries have been shaped and eras have been defined. The Serie A, the top flight league of Italy in many ways has a strong fascist connection, so much so that its very existence dates back to its founding in 1929 by none other than Mussolini himself. A lot many Italian clubs have over the years grown a reputation of having right winged or left winged ultras. Lazio, for instance are popular for their notoriously right wing ultras. Clarence Seedorf, many claim refused to sign with Lazio solely because of its right winged ultras, the north Rome fan base of the club. Similarly Lilian Thuram, was close to signing for Lazio, but fears of being subjected to hostile treatment from the club fans drove him to the north of Italy, Turin to join the Old Lady of Juventus. Other lesser known clubs like Livorno too had extreme right wing fascists supporters in their ranks. This was a time when football had indeed proved to be the very essence of what the societal conditions of the time were. But the most prominent of them all were Lazio and AS Roma to an extent. Paulo Di Canio, one of those select football players who was a genius with the ball and an headliner when without it, for varying reasons. A hardcore fascist, he had fascist tattoos all over his body, and who can forget his infamous habit of giving the fascist salute every time he scored.
But this isn't to say that this was an Italian Phenomenon only. Hitler, not to left behind adapted a similar regime in Germany having realised the role played by sport in propagating a new world order. The 1936 Olympic Games and all the controversy it carries with it is one of the many instances where sport served as Hitler's vehicle of change. And then there is the infamous Spanish General, Franco. A hardcore Fascist, he used the "EL CLASICO" as the means of fulfilling his own agenda. Knowing that Catalonia was at the heart of the Republican Resistance, and Barcelona was the heart and soul of Catalonia, he used this as his window of opportunity. It began with the assassination of Joseph Garriga, the then chairman of Barcelona. This was followed by stripping of the Catalan flag from the club's crest and the ban of the usage of Catalan language. For a long period of time, he succeeded, with the resistance well and truly a failed attempt. Franco followed this by building up Real Madrid as the conservative, totally Catholic rival to the 'ultras' of Barcelona. He even intervened in the club's working personally, one instance being the signing of the great Alfredo De Stefano. No wonder the Real-Barca rivalry is one of the biggest, if not the biggest rivalry in club football.
Fascism has since seen its power and importance wane down over the years, specially after the Axis defeat in the second world war. That's not to say that football doesn't have its share of fascist elements anymore. Infact in many ways, 82 years after Mussolini first merged football and fascism, a new wave of fascist support has creeped into the footballing world. This was most notably on display in the recently concluded 2106 European Championships. Teams like Poland, Hungary, Croatia have a strong fascist support base. Ukrainian fans have been clearly seen sporting Swastika tattoos and hell broke loose when in a Euro qualifier between Italy and Croatia at Zagreb, a Nazi Swastika symbol was visibly drawn on the pitch.
While its safe to say, a Mussolini or Hitler or Franco styled fascism would never be as dominant in football as it was in the last century, but its a trend too deep rooted to ever go away totally. Fascism will live on and football will continue to have elements in it that would present an alternative approach to a modern society. For every conservative Bayern Munich, there would be Lazio, for every Paris St. Germain there would be a AS Roma. While a Pablo Di Canio is very unlikely to pop up again, the beautiful game would always have its share of controversies, it would always merge with politics and ideologies, for this like Bill Shankly said,was a game which stretched between the boundaries of life and death. Football isn't merely a sport, it never was, it always was and will be 'more than just a game'
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