ABSTRACT
Soccer is a global phenomenon with many local faces, ranging from an impromptu kick-off on a street corner to a symbolic match between rival nations. The response to the equally global problem of soccer racism has, however, been remarkably uniform. Most efforts make the deceptively simple appeal to oppose racism using slogans such as: “say no to racism,” “show racism the red card,” “kick racism out of soccer,” “love football, hate racism.” At present, little is known about the ways in which soccer fans respond to these messages. Despite their widespread use, it is unclear whether media campaigns that deploy this vocabulary can be considered effective contributions to the struggle against racism in soccer.
