The Transformation of European Football Towards the Europeanisation of the National Game

The book examines the transformation of European football in recent years by focusing on the impact of Europe in general and the EU in particular on the way that the game has evolved in a broad cross section of European states. The book brings together two significant research agendas: first, that on the governance of sport in Europe/the European Union; secondly, that within European integration studies on "Europeanization" (most commonly understood at the process of change in the domestic arena resulting from European integration). The concept of Europeanization and in particular top down Europeanization is used to shape the individual country case studies. Other transformational factors such as globalization are also assessed. The three chapters in the introductory section set the context within which the transformation of European football has occurred with particular emphasis on the role of UEFA and EU institutions. The ten country studies in the central part of the book include the five leading football nations in Europe and smaller countries that are facing new challenges in the competitive environment of modern European football. They include an example of a country that is a recent accession state and one outside the EU. What emerges from these chapters is both the shaping influence of Europeanization but also the extent to which it is countered and modified by national culture and structures. What is also noticeable the sense of decline among some of the small and even larger footballing nations in the continent. This book will be of interest to students of European politics, sports governance and football, it also represents a substantial contribution to the debate on Europeanization.

Arne Niemann is Professor of International Politics at the University of Mainz Borja Garca is Lecturer in Sport Management and Policy at Loughborough University Wyn Grant is Professor of Politics at the University of Warwick

Section 1: Context * Introduction --Arne Niemann Borja García and Wyn Grant * The transformation of football: Europe --Richard Parrish * UEFA and the European Union: the green shoots of a new European public space --Jonathan Hill * Section 2: Country studies * Germany: between modest adjustment and system  transformation --Alexander Brand and Arne Niemann * England: a liberal model under challenge?  --Wyn Grant * France: a case of UEFA-isation?  --David Ranc and Albrecht Sonntag * Italy: the last of the great leagues?  --Osvaldo Crocci, Nicola Porro and Pippo Russo * Spain: parochialism or innovation?  -- Borja García, Alberton Palomar Olmeda and Carmen Pérez González * The Netherlands: The problematic future of Dutch football --Otto Holman, Rik de Ruiter and Rens Vliegenthart *  The Europeanisation of Austrian Football: historically determined and modern processes of Europeanisation --Alexander Brand, Arne Niemann and Georg Spitaler * Sweden: the development of club football on the the periphery of Europe --Torbjörn Andersson,  Jyri Backmann and Bo Carlsson * Poland: new shape, same old problems --Magdelena Kedzior and Rzeszów Melchior Szcepanik * Switzerland: professionalisation and internationalisation, courtesy of the EU and UEFA --Dirk Lehmkuhl and Olivier Siegrist * Section 3: Conclusions * Conclusions   --Borja García, Arne Niemann and Wyn Grant