Experts state that being a fan makes an individual 'anonymous' among thousands, making them part of the existing crowd, and the 'we' feeling brought by massification is also the foundation of a fierce (violent) orientation built directly against the 'other'.
Sociologist Dr. Berat Dağ, who explains that individuals living as ordinary citizens in their daily lives do not hesitate to use the most sexist expressions or engage in fierce actions against the opposing team in the stands, said, “It is extremely important for football to cease being a tool that covers up the interaction of economic exploitation, political oppression, and mental othering, and instead return to its original purpose of strengthening social and inter-societal solidarity within the context of entertainment's unifying effect.”
Üsküdar University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ evaluated the tensions experienced during football matches.
Each club tries to monopolize the developing football industry
Sociologist Dr. Berat Dağ stated that negative examples experienced in football matches can be considered to emerge interactively with historical, geographical, political, economic, social, and psychological factors, and added, “The majority of football clubs in Turkey are under huge insurmountable debts, thus they strive to maintain the flow of revenue-generating victories, government support, sponsorship, advertising, and ticket and product sales. In this context, the result of each club trying to monopolize the developing football industry in this way is very clear.”
Reasons for tensions caused by football…
Dr. Dağ noted that the astronomical fees received by footballers turn them into social actors and can intensify the rivalry among them, stating, “It is evident that every individual in this industry, from the club president to the ball boy, has not undergone an awareness activity that includes human rights, gender equality, and multiculturalism, along with the necessary psychological support. It is not surprising that the tensions caused by these factors are continuous in a geography prone to social polarization due to cultural rootlessness.”
The conflict between football clubs is extremely grave
Dağ stated that the conflict between football clubs, through political parties, historical interactions, social change processes, and human mentality, which are research areas of Humanities and Social Sciences, is extremely grave, adding, “Today, many football clubs can be found implying that each other is a psychiatric case, foreign-enemy, match-fixer, or coup plotter.”
Individuals living as ordinary citizens in their daily lives do not shy away from violence
Dr. Berat Dağ also stated that it is reasonable to interpret emotions, thoughts, and actions shaped by fandom through interacting factors, and continued:
“At this point, it can be said that fandom makes an individual anonymous among thousands, making them part of the existing crowd. Likewise, the 'we' feeling brought by this massification is the foundation of a fierce (violent) orientation built directly against the 'other'. Here, the authoritarian guidance of fan group leaders, referred to as 'amigos', is also quite effective. As a result of all this, as in the film 'Green Street Hooligans', it is known that individuals living as ordinary citizens in their daily lives do not hesitate to use the most sexist expressions or engage in fierce actions against the opposing team in the stands.”
The unifying effect of entertainment
Dağ also stated that this process can reach a racist point when it comes to the international level, adding, “There are many examples where national teams, along with their fans, are in an atmosphere as if they are going to war rather than a competition. However, football, due to its characteristics, is not a platform to be resorted to for solving national and international problems related to history, gender, economy, and politics. Therefore, it is extremely important for football to cease being a tool that covers up the interaction of economic exploitation, political oppression, and mental othering, and instead return to its original purpose of strengthening social and inter-societal solidarity within the context of entertainment's unifying effect.”
The “eternal” rivalry between football teams affects fans
Dağ explained that the rivalry between football teams, described as “eternal”, affects the fan's current form of emotions, thoughts, and actions, and stated, “Conversely, it can be argued that the fan's form of emotions, thoughts, and actions also determines the content of this rivalry. For example, it is clear that almost every man, from birth, uses fanatical, sexist, and racist rhetoric, often normalized through the team his father supports, fiercely even against his relatives, friends, lover, and even his spouse.”
What is the media's impact on tension?
Dr. Berat Dağ stated that the media, to the extent it is effective in the creation, spread, and increase of tensions in football matches, also has the potential to contribute to the reduction of these tensions, and concluded his words by saying, “It can be observed that individuals on derby days focus more on creating derogatory texts about opposing team supporters using dictionary applications, rather than engaging with political and social agendas. There is always the possibility of causing public outrage in the context of wrong or incomplete football news conveyed by troll armies through the media. Furthermore, sports newspapers, programs, and channels that produce various provocative content exceeding the boundaries of football are seen to maintain their continuity.”