Football and International Relations under Francoism, 1937-1975

This book shines a light on the specific role football played in relation to the international relations of the Franco regime in mid-twentieth-century Spain.
In the 35 years of the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, sport, specifically football as the main mass sport, was often used as a tool at the service of the political and diplomatic interests of the regime, and this volume analyses how Franco's government, mainly through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, used football as part of its foreign policy strategy to promote the international image of the dictatorship. Prestige international tours and friendly matches, the European successes of Real Madrid CF and of the national team and the organisation of sporting events such as the 1964 European Nations Cup were used as instruments to strengthen the country's geopolitical interests. This book responds to an important bibliographical gap that exists in relation to both research on Franco's regime and the study of the role that sport played under Franco and in comparison with other totalitarian regimes such as fascism and Nazism.
Football and International Relations under Francoism, 1937-1975 is an ideal resource for academics in sports history, football history and international relations studies, as well as those with an interest in Spanish history and the study of totalitarianism in Europe. 

List of contents

Introduction  1. The Sporting Structure of Franco's Regime and the Role of Football  2. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diplomatic Use of Football  3. The Civil War and the New Football Diplomacy, 1937-1945  4. From Isolationism and Autarchy to Francoist Consolidation, 1945-1959  5. Real Madrid, Ambassador of Franco's Regime  6. The 1960s and the Transformation of the Diplomatic Use of Football, 1960-1975  Conclusion

About the author

Juan Antonio Simón is Lecturer in Sports History at Polytechnic University of Madrid-INEF, where his research focuses on the history of sport in Spain, the links between football and international relations, and the history of mega sports events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Summary

This book shines a light on the specific role football played in relation to the international relations of the Franco regime in mid-twentieth century Spain.

Product details

• Authors: Juan Antonio Simón
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 03.10.2024
• EAN: 9781032260624
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3226062-4
• No. of pages: 144
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 11 mm x 234 mm
• Weight: 380 g
• Series: Routledge Soccer Histories
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; European History, Spain, SPORTS & RECREATION / Soccer, PHILOSOPHY / Social, PHILOSOPHY / Political, POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General, Nationalism, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / European, International Relations, Social & political philosophy, social and political philosophy, Fascism & Nazism, c 1930 to c 1939, Far-right political ideologies and movements, Football (Soccer, Association football), c 1940 to c 1949, Association football (Soccer), c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), c 1918 to c 1939 (Inter-war period), HISTORY / Europe / Spain