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RESEARCH PRODUCT

A popular game in Father Christmas Land? Football in Finland

Hannu ItkonenArto Nevala

subject

Cultural StudiesGlobalizationSociology and Political ScienceSocial PsychologyEconomyPolitical scienceta5141educationFootballhuman activities

description

This essay is about the changing role of football in Finland. Our starting point is the view that Finland is not an internationally significant football country. Even so, Finland has been part of the international football organization for over a 100 years. Dividing the development of Finnish football into four historical periods, the essay analyses the relationships of Finnish football with the international football scene, and discusses the significance of Finnish football as part of Finland’s national sports culture. Measured by the number of players, football is the most popular sport in Finland today. With its player streams and fan cultures, Finnish football has also become an integral part of the globalized football culture.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2012.677229