ABSTRACT
Some studies have discussed the migration of African players to the elite leagues abroad as a way to better the livelihood of family units, relatives, friends, and the communities. Yet little is known of how players make the decision to support the latter. This section provides background and a rationale of the book to understand the Give Back Behaviour (GBB) of African players to society. We explain the key hypotheses including the past and current studies on migrants’ relations with their communities regarding professional football. Analysis of interviews, biographies and autobiographies of players, exposed how GBB is consubstantial to Africa and Europe migration and migrants’ communities. We discuss the influence of the social and economic evolution of African football, the typology of players’ migration itineraries and strategies, and the classifications of Give Back Behaviours. These key discoveries are derived from the GBB of players. Building on what we discovered, the following chapters provide new knowledge and information to clarify this issue through the analysis of cultural, social, and economic factors underpinning the GBB of African footballers in Europe.
