Events like FIFA World Cup and UEFA are big events that soccer fans wait for years. In the stadium, fans energetically cheer for their countries and become united. Everything looks dazzling. The air is filled with passion. But extreme passion can be dangerous if we lead it the wrong way. Soccer fans usually see fans from other teams especially rival countries in international matches as enemies. When fans gather together, they become one and sometimes become hooligans. Hooliganism has a long history with soccer that keeps repeating both on and off the field.
Possible solutions for this problem, which negatively affects individuals, society, and teams’ reputations, are educating fans and penalizing them.
In “Why the Ugly Spectacle of Fan Violence Has Returned to Soccer”, Nick Ames discussed the recurrent hooliganism phenomenon in UEFA 2016, France. During the European Championship, off-field battles between English and Russian fans repeatedly happened in Marseille and Lille. It is believed that estimated 200 Russian fans are probably organized.
Some of them even said that fighting English fans is what they came for. However, English fans are not model citizens either. Considering from the past, England’s supporters are well-known soccer hooligans, especially during Europe Tournaments. Despite bans and penalties, hooliganism keeps returning. This has led Nick Ames to wonder why. He suggested that the roots of the problem are national conflict and patriotism in Europe and right-wing influences in Russia.
The best possible solution to solve this difficult problem is educating fans about rules, penalties, international cooperation, how to support a team peacefully, and the true value of sport by creating clubs, exclusive events, and activities, or approaching them through
media. It’s the best solution because it solves the problem from the root, not just to relieve the effects. Hooligans are human. Using only violence against violence will only create temporary results. If we approach them as human beings and as people who have feelings that can improve themselves better, hooligans can become model supporters that help look after one another as a true team and create the real value that sport tries to achieve.
To solve the problem, we need a soft method like providing knowledge and understanding to fans along with a strong method, penalizing. Laws and rules should be taken seriously as well as penalized to keep the peace during matches. Also, penalizing is a warning message to the supporters that they should be mindful of their actions. It sets an example for other fans and reminds them of the consequences that could affect themselves and others if they break the rules. The discipline or punishment could include banning from the stadium to sentencing to prison.
In conclusion, soccer hooliganism is a recurrent problem that hurts the country’s and sport’s reputation. Moreover, it’s harmful to individuals and society. However, this problem could be solved or relieved by educating soccer fans and penalizing them. The main goal of soccer events like UEFA and FIFA is to promote unity, peace, and fair play among countries which can’t achieve without helps and cooperation. As soccer fans, we need to ask ourselves what the true meaning of sport is and how to support our beloved team in the best human way.
The Off-Field Rage . (2022, Aug 09). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/the-off-field-rage/
