ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to throw light upon recent manifestations of discrimination within Italian football. It focuses on an allegedly racist incident, revealing several aspects and layers of discrimination that characterize Italian society and are manifested in the country’s football scene. First, it discusses xenophobia, taking into account the local-migrant nexus and the migrant-crime nexus. Both are powerful forces that have fostered a general sense of fear towards the complex phenomenon of migration over time. Second, it considers racism in Italian football, describing the various actors involved with particular reference to fans and (governing) institutions. Third, it analyses the history and development of the North-South divide in Italy and its manifestations in football, highlighting how, even within clear geographical and administrative parameters, discriminatory systems have been replicated towards Southern Italians. The conclusion points to “Italianness” as an overarching and powerful dimension that frames and, partly, explains the current discourse around discrimination in Italian football, encapsulating xenophobia, racism, and territorial discrimination.
