ABSTRACT
In little over one hundred years sport has been transformed from a parochial activity arousing only passing interest among governments to a global phenomenon demanding the attention of presidents, prime ministers and monarchs. The opening of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona took place in front of King Juan Carlos and the event was intertwined with a number of major political issues including Catalonian nationalism, European Union supranationalism and Yugoslavian disintegration. Four years later the fortunes of the national teams competing in the European soccer competition, Euro ’96, were followed closely by political leaders at home, with victories prompting congratulatory messages and motorcades in capital cities upon the return of the team. Helmut Kohl of Germany, Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic, and the UK Prime Minister and Queen were among those who attended matches.
