Soccer Hooligans to MMA - The Changing Face of the Radical Right Through Sports
Abstract
The radical right in Europe uses sports and sports fans as a vehicle for recruitment and radicalization, as a space to refine extreme right-wing ideology, and as an arena for politically charged violence. This thesis analyzes the evolving relationship the radical right has with soccer hooligans and mixed martial arts (MMA) within Europe to determine the interplay between political ideology, popular culture, and violence from the 1980s to the present. Specifically, it evaluates how the radical right in Europe uses soccer and MMA to achieve its political objectives, while taking into account the development of regulations within the sports and of their fans. This thesis concludes that the changing political landscape in Europe, with the rise of Islamophobia, along with increased sporting and spectator regulations, a decline of violent hooliganism, and the recent popularity of MMA, have led to a refinement of radical right ideology and recruitment methods, as well as a professionalization of political violence. Fundamentally, soccer hooligans, constrained by increasing spectator regulation and limited politically legitimate support, turned to MMA and went from rioting in the streets to the brutality, refinement, and popularity of the MMA octagon.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1185061
Entities
People
- Gabrielle M. Negus
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School