Abstract

Football in Europe has undergone massive changes over the last decade. Regulating Football gets behind the headlines to look at the impact of ever increasing commercialisation and the commodification of football.

The essence of the book is football as it is played, refereed, managed, bought, sold and consumed: the authors capture the life and action of the game as seen from the perspective of the numerous participants and place these experiences within a sociological, economic and legal context which reflects the increasing commodification of the sport.

Exploring the ways in which the game is regulated, the authors question whether we have reached the point where commercial issues have superseded the club – and even the game of football itself. The role of players, agents, officials, governing bodies, and the media are all explored. The authors pay attention to levels of violence and racism both on and off the field in both the professional and amateur forms of the game.