ABSTRACT

Chapter 1 presents a historical sociology of organized fandom in Zagreb, from the 1980s to the present day, combining a more general overview of socio-political changes in Croatia with significant events and processes in which football fans have participated, with a focus on members of two Zagreb-based fan associations, the Bad Blue Boys, and White Angels Zagreb. It begins with a discussion of football and fandom in late socialist Yugoslavia, outlining the origins of organized fan groups and their sub-culturalization. The events of the 1990s, encompassing both the wars of Yugoslav secession and a battle between Dinamo fans and the new Croatia political leadership over the club name, are then described. The period of so-called ‘democratic transition’, associated with EU accession hopes and marked by increasing police repression of fans is then covered. Finally, the events from 2008 onwards, characterized as a period of economic and political crisis, and of a ‘slow conservative revolution’ are described.