Jugoslawien in der Kurve: Repräsentationen des sozialistischen Jugoslawiens als politischer Bestandteil der Fußballfankultur im (post-) jugoslawischen Raum

Abstract

The article explores certain characteristics of the Yugoslav fan culture by facing major aspects of the politicization of supporter groups, which took place during the 1980s. It starts with a brief description of the development of Yugoslav football and fan cultures with the focus on political and sociohistorical interferences. Using interviews with supporters from this period as well as interviews with experts and other sources, the article describes the youth-cultural manifestations of the fan culture and the active role of the Yugoslav Ultras in the period of homogenization and nationalization of the society – so far the common stereotypes about football fans in Yugoslavia. But there were also supporter groups, defending the idea of a multi-ethnical Yugoslavia until the very end, since a collapse would mean the end of their multi-ethnical group structures. As it is often the case, a generalization about supporters, nationalism and the collapse of Yugoslavia is not appropriate.