ABSTRACT
Introduction The present chapter addresses the aims and scope of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) with regard to European football. Its foundation coinciding with (and stemming from) developments the world over during the period of decolonization, UEFA could not have escaped its politicization or else its very existence would have become compromised. The historical background of UEFA suggests that the European football governing body emerged out of a need to maintain and regulate the European qualities of a game that had already succeeded in gaining an international reputation and unparalleled popularity. Although UEFA’s geopolitical boundaries were swiftly secured, the politics of football remained an important issue throughout the second half of the previous century merely because conditions during and after the Cold War dictated so. On some occasions, the (re)admission of certain members was as much a political decision. Ever since, UEFA has become all the more political in view of the growing power, and interference in sport, of yet another continental organization, the European Union. Characterizing the relationship between UEFA and the European Union are the Bosman case, the issue of racism in European football and, more recently, Article 165 of the Treaty of Lisbon. All in all, the following pages will guide the reader through what is perceived as the Europeanization of football.
