Sport or War?

Let us consider just one aspect typical of so many modern sporting events​—violence. This phenomenon occurs frequently at soccer matches​—on the field, in the stands, and outside the stadium. Psychologists, sociologists, and journalists agree that in a world so intensely violent, sport is no exception. Fundamental moral values are being relentlessly subverted. As an attempt to whitewash the violent realities of modern sport, the use of phrases such as “sport is an honest encounter,” “the spirit of friendship,” or “brotherhood” doesn’t work.

The World Cup championship was no exception. Some time before they began, alarming reports were heard. “Violent Soccer Fanaticism Scares and the Tourists Desert Italy,” read a headline in La Repubblica 18 days before the first match. The most feared were the notorious hooligans, a segment of English soccer fans known all over Europe for their vandalism before, during, and after every game.a

The June 1, 1990, edition of Turin’s daily La Stampa analyzed the causes of the violence in the stadiums and the boorish behavior of the hooligans, commenting: “In the soccer tribe, by now there are no half measures. Adversaries are no longer just adversaries but ‘enemies’; a clash is not the exception but the rule, and it must be hard, as hard as possible.” But why? “‘Because we hate one another,’ answered some soccer hooligans from Bologna.” Attempting to explain the logic behind such hatred, sociologist Antonio Roversi said: “The stadium kids suffer from the ‘bedouin syndrome.’ Those suffering from this syndrome consider their friend’s enemies to be their enemies, their enemy’s friends to be their enemies, and, vice versa, the friend of a friend is a friend and the enemy of an enemy is a friend.”

Hatred, violence, rivalry, vandalism, the “bedouin syndrome”​—the World Cup soccer championships had yet to kick off, and already the atmosphere was that of a declaration of war. In spite of this, Italy prepared for the event in a festive mood.

Sports Hooligans

Because of the hooligans, cities such as Cagliari and Turin lived under a state of siege for all of the first phase of the championships. Here are some of the newspaper headlines: “Rimini Shaken by the Warfare”; “Cagliari, War Breaks Out”; “Violence at Turin: A German and a Briton Knifed”; “A Day of Rioting Between English, German, and Italian Fans”; “Save Us From the English Fans​—The Mayor of Turin Launches an Appeal”; “Nights of Clashes Between Extremists. The Mayor: The Ones From Turin Are the Real Hooligans.” Here is another chilling example: “‘How to Stab an Opposing Fan’​—Published in England, the Manual of the Perfect Hooligan.” These headlines are enough to give a picture of the situation. But such things are only a natural product of a society that feeds on violence.

The great sporting event did not end on a happy note. The derogatory whistling of the Italian fans at the Argentinean team and its champion, Maradona, for having eliminated the Italian team, overshadowed the joy of the final and ruined the closing match. That July evening, there was no “great sporting brotherhood” in the Olympic Stadium; the World Cup “temple” was profaned. Il Tempo of July 10, 1990, commented: “Out on the field, they offended the game​—in the stands, they sullied the sport.”