Abstract
The history of Egyptian football is deeply rooted in nationalism, struggle and pride that goes beyond the limited sporting arena. More than just one of the most popular sports in the country, football can be understood as a “multi-faceted mirror”, revealing certain complexities and struggles present within Egyptian society, especially in a context where the ruling power has a close grip on its population. This chapter examines how Egypt adapted the historically English game to its social, economic and political realities and interests at different times in its history. It further aims at exploring the multi-levelled use of sport both at national and local levels. Specifically, it examines football as a space used both by the regime as an instrument of legitimacy and by the organised groups of football supporters as one of the few spaces that allows for the expression of opinions and grievances that cannot be voiced in the public arena.
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Gibril, S. (2018). Egypt. In: De Waele, JM., Gibril, S., Gloriozova, E., Spaaij, R. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Football and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78777-0_18
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