In the eastern part of Europe football has always been in close relationship with the political sphere. As the most popular sport it was always a state affair in this area. In the countries surrounded by enemies and rivals suffering from inferiority complex, politics sometimes tried to use soccer as a means of legitimacy and propaganda. The nationalist political elites tried to exploit the political potentials of football. During the dualistic era (1867–1918) soccer was represented in Hungary as the symbol of cultural superiority especially in contrast to Austria; in the inter-war period it was an expression of symbolizing being European, the wish to belong to Western Europe and an evidence of Hungarians’ greatness in opposition to neighbouring countries. In the hands of totalitarian socialist powers, soccer became an even more important political vehicle in order to prove the superiority of socialism above capitalism, to legitimate dictatorship by exploitation football results as the regime’s own victories, and it could channel the sentiments and passions of the people. During ‘soft dictatorship’ of Kádár-era the political control over football remained unchanged, however influence was rather indirect and less drastic.

Football is regarded as one of the defining elements of the local national identity in Spain - a country with diverse historical nationalities. The game serves as the means for a nationality to dissociate from the majority-controlled state. The importance of national identities to be found on the territory of Spain is central to any worthy understanding of the history of football up to the present day, and it is especially true in the case of Basque football. Sport, and especially football, plays an important role in emphasizing the Basque national identity in all the Basque regions, and it is a special manifestation of their political beliefs. As this essay tries to argue, the game has become an integral part of Basque national culture while the football clubs and national teams have assumed political importance. The Basques have their own national teams, i.e. clubs, whose teams represent the Basque nation as also the country Euskadi. Thus, the essay aims to examine the relationships between football and Basque national identity in a historical perspective. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

For decades Corsica could be characterized as an underdeveloped, politically unstable region ridden with violence. The 'Corsican Question' is a complex phenomenon, created over time as a result of political conflict, social tension and economic maladies. Despite the establishment of administrative autonomy in 1991 and a slow transformation within the French state, coupled with new efforts for institutional reform in order to develop and strengthen Corsica's political autonomy, a successful resolution of conflict in Corsica still remains quite illusory. The most popular sport in the world could be a weapon in the hands of national or ethnic minorities against the majority nation living on the island and against the state ruled by that nation. The Corsican example points up the important connection between football, politics and the question of nations and nationalities across the world. The essay examines how soccer has been used by the Corsican minority as a field of social protest, a stage for demonstrating distinctive identity. Local football is a mirror which reflects the various unresolved questions of the difficult and complex Corsican situation - Corsican identity, relations between the island and the French state, and so on. While Corsican football and the two major Corsican clubs might not ever achieve fame or a strong position in Europe, football will remain one of the most important expressions of Corsican national identity. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.