Europeanisation of Football

This chapter uses the concept of Europeanisation to highlight key developments in European club football since the 1990s while pointing to their possible impact on football fans and fan identification. The central premise is that football’s governance structures have undergone various Europeanisation processes in recent decades. The uploading, downloading and cross-loading dynamics include (1) a Europeanised player market driven by the Bosman ruling of the European Court of Justice, (2) an alignment of broadcasting rights systems across the continent following EU regulation, (3) an increasing coordination of clubs on the European level and (4) the growing prominence of European club competitions. These developments have led to an interconnected and influential system of European club football, which potentially influences the identity of football fans.