Cairo's Ultras, livre ebook

A fascinating account of football culture in Egypt through its ultras groups

The history of Cairo’s football fans is one of the most poignant narratives of the 25 January 2011 Egyptian uprising. The Ultras Al-Ahly and the Ultras White Knights fans, belonging to the two main teams, Al-Ahly F.C. and Zamalek F.C respectively, became embroiled in the street protests that brought down the Mubarak regime. In the violent turmoil since, the Ultras have been locked in a bitter conflict with the Egyptian security state. Tracing these social movements to explore their role in the uprising and the political dimension of soccer in Egypt, Ronnie Close provides a vivid, intimate sense of the Ultras’ unique subculture.

Cairo’s Ultras: Resistance and Revolution in Egypt’s Football Culture explores how football communities offer ways of belonging and instill meaning in everyday life. Close asks us to rethink the labels ‘fans’ or ‘hooligans’ and what such terms might really mean. He argues that the role of the body is essential to understanding the cultural practices of the Cairo Ultras, and that the physicality of the stadium rituals and acerbic chants were key expressions that resonated with many Egyptians. Along the way, the book skewers media clichés and retraces revolutionary politics and social networks to consider the capacity of sport to emancipate through performances on the football terraces.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1. Football, Nationalism, and Spectacle 7
2. The Catastrophe Apparatus 35
3. Hooligan Days of Sporting Dissensus 71
4. The Aesthetic Economy of Revolution 105
5. Ultras Utopia, Bodies of Possibility 135
6. Errant Futures (#trash_ahlawy) 165
Notes 191
Glossary 207
Bibliography 209
Index 219