The two-track Europeanization of football: EU-level pressures, transnational dynamics and their repercussions within different national contexts

This article contributes to the under-researched literature on the Europeanization of sports. We distinguish between two modes of Europeanization (broadly signifying the impact of European integration on the domestic realm): the traditional top-down approach and the neglected societal/transnational Europeanization track. Both modes are examined with regard to their effects within two national contexts (Germany and Austria), and across two cases: the Bosman ruling (the nationality issue) and European club competitions as an engine of Europeanization. Our analysis reveals some important differences: the domestic countermeasures regarding the nationality aspect of the Bosman ruling were more s…