ABSTRACT
This chapter written by Radoslaw Kossakowski deals with Poland. He offers a critical analysis of racism, nationalism and xenophobia in Polish football that can only be fully understood against the complex socio-economic, political and cultural context of this relatively young democratic nation-state. The focus is on the manifestations of the aforementioned problems, which are most visible and audible in the country’s diverse fan culture. In order to comprehend these issues discussions about Polishness, the naturalisation of players from other countries and the fans’ general attitudes towards liberal, Western norms and values are addressed in this chapter. There appears to be severe tension between Poland’s relatively homogenous, largely mono-ethnic society and the ethnically and culturally very diverse composition of top-level football, which is clearly reflected in the attitudes and behaviour of many stakeholders. The author also outlines selected initiatives that aim to combat prejudice, discrimination and abuse in Polish football. Finally, the chapter concludes some critical reflections on the future of Polish football with particular reference to issues such as ethnic diversity and identity discourses.
