Soccer in Spain: Politics, Literature, and Film (Scarecrow Soccer Series)

Soccer has the unique ability to represent and strengthen different cultural identities and ideologies throughout the world. Perhaps nowhere can this be seen more prominently than in Spain, which has surged to the forefront of the world’s most popular sport. The national team has won the last two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup, while the two preeminent club teams in Spain, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, have reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Even before the sport became a global phenomenon, soccer had established a strong connection with Spanish identity and culture. In Soccer in Spain: Politics, Literature, and Film , Timothy J. Ashton examines the sport’s association with Spanish culture and society. In this volume, Ashton demonstrates how Spain’s soccer clubs reflected the politics of the region they represented and continue to reflect them today. The author also explores the often-tenuous relationship between the intellectual classes and the soccer community in Spain. Although some of the country’s most highly-praised literary figures had a passion for soccer—which was often reflected in their work—many intellectuals deemed the topic unsuitable for critical study. Ashton also discusses how soccer films faced a similar rebuff from Spanish intellectuals, though the popularity of these films has grown in recent years. As soccer continues to be one of the modern world’s most significant representations of globalization, its importance as a cultural touchpoint cannot be ignored. For anyone wanting to learn more about the relationship between soccer, politics, and popular culture, this volume offers critical insights. Soccer in Spain is a valuable read for students and scholars of Spanish political history, literature, film, and sport. I: Tackling Spain's A National Identity Crisis. Background To Spain's State Of Autonomies -- Tension Flair: Spanish Soccer During The Pre-civil War Period (1900-1936 -- The Struggle To Survive: Spanish Soccer During The Civil War (1936-1939) -- The Opiate Of The Masses: Spanish Soccer During The Franco Regime (1939-1975) -- Hoping To Bury The Hatchet: Spanish Soccer During The Translation (1975-2000) -- A New Day Dawns: Spanish Soccer Moves Into The Twenty-first Century. Ii: The Phenomenon Of Spanish Kick-lit. The Ball Begins To Roll: The Early Years Of Spain's Kick-lit Phenomenon -- David Trueba's Knowing How To Lose -- Soccer Stories -- Soccer Stories 2 . Iii: The Phenomenon Of Spanish Kick-flicks. The Early Years: Blonde Dart -- The Goalkeeper -- Days Of Soccer -- The World's Longest Penalty Kick. Timothy J. Ashton. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Since the formation of Spain's first club teams at the turn of the 20th century, the sport of soccer has long been connected with Spain's internal historical and socio-political disputes. Timothy Ashton not only details the strong relationship between soccer and politics in Spain, but also demonstrates the multifaceted connection the sport has with other aspects of Spanish society, namely literature and film