Egypt’s Football Revolution: Emotion, Masculinity, and Uneasy Politics

Description

Both a symbol of the Mubarak government’s power and a component in its construction of national identity, football served as fertile ground for Egyptians to confront the regime’s overthrow during the 2011 revolution. With the help of the state, appreciation for football in Egypt peaked in the late 2000s. Yet after Mubarak fell, fans questioned their previous support, calling for a reformed football for a new, postrevolutionary nation. In Egypt’s Football Revolution, Carl Rommel examines the politics of football as a space for ordinary Egyptians and state forces to negotiate a masculine Egyptian chauvinism. Basing his discussion on several years of fieldwork with fans, players, journalists, and coaches, he investigates the increasing attention paid to football during the Mubarak era; its demise with the 2011 uprisings and 2012 Port Said massacre, which left seventy-two fans dead; and its recent rehabilitation. Cairo’s highly organized and dedicated Ultras fans became a key revolutionary force through their antiregime activism, challenging earlier styles of fandom and making visible entrenched ties between sport and politics. As the appeal of football burst, alternative conceptions of masculinity, emotion, and politics came to the fore to demand or prevent revolution and reform. Illustrations Acknowledgments Note on Transliterations Introduction: Emotions, Politics, and Egypt’s Changing National Game Part I. Bubble Chapter 1. Normal Nationals and Vulgar Winners Chapter 2. Fanatical Politics and Resurging Respectability Part II. Ultras Chapter 3. A Revolutionary Emotional Style Chapter 4. A Respectable Revolution Measures Its Violence Chapter 5. The Insurmountable Double Bind of Siyasa Part III. Aftermath Chapter 6. When the Game Feels Like Politics, It Doesn’t Feel Like Much at All Chapter 7. No National Significance, No Political Concerns Conclusion: An Emotional Revolt Trapped in Politics Postscript: Magnificent Mohamed Salah and the Ill-Fated 2018 World Cup Notes References Untitled