In Germany, soccer becomes more than just a sporting contest: It also has the power to affect collective attitudes, identities and change national image. This is football-related nationalism.
Michael Mutz
Michael Mutz is a professor in Social Science of Sport at the University of Giessen, Germany. His research focuses on international mega-sport events, their legacies and their impact on society. In this regard, he has investigated football-related nationalism, the media portrayal of Olympic victories, and the social integration effects of sports clubs. Mutz works at the intersections of sociology, social psychology and political science. Currently, he chairs the section Sociology of Sport at the German Society of Sport Science.