Egypt’s Football Revolution

Egypt’s Football Revolution is a fascinating and ethnographically rich account of the country’s famed soccer fans and their struggle for dignity, freedom, and justice. But it is much more than that. Rommel expertly reveals a tension between Egyptian nationalism and ideal concepts of politics (siyasa)—a tension that ultimately constrained the liberatory possibilities of the 2011 uprising. This book is critical reading for anyone seeking to understand how people make sense of the concept of politics in their daily lives and how that process shapes political possibilities, revolutionary and otherwise.

— Jessica Winegar

The political resonance of Egyptian football has long been obvious yet opaque. Egypt’s Football Revolution brings both the sport and its political significance to life—its connection to masculinity, nationalism, neoliberal culture, and revolution. But the true brilliance of this book lies in the fact that for many of those who love the game, football is intrinsically connected to joy. A mere sociological dissection of it never quite captures that essential quality of the game. Rommel’s account of Egyptian football is a tour de force, illuminating both the passion and the politics of a crucial element of contemporary Egyptian society.

— Walter Armbrust

[Egypt's Football Revolution] is an interesting addition which undoubtedly will enrich the growing literature and multidisciplinary studies on sport, football in particular, in North African and Middle Eastern Societies. It is a must read for both academics and students in social sciences, and those interested in anthropology. The author’s lived experiences in Egypt and extensive ethnographic insights through the lenses of football offer a rich narrative about the political and social dynamics of Egypt.

— Idrotts Forum

[Egypt's Football Revolution's] analysis of revolution, football emotion and masculinity enlightens the reader about what happened in the North African country during the last twenty years, and how Egyptian male football Ultras and the Egyptian government felt about it...Rommel’s knowledge of the subject is deep and broad. He has spent long hours viewing the game at stadiums and interacting with young Egyptians, and his participant observation of the Ultra fans in particular reveals their oral histories’ emotionality and value. This makes the work a reminder to historians who might otherwise emphasise archival texts and documents, of the deep feelings that motivate individuals, and allow for their manipulation by others.

— Sport in History

An intriguing anthropological study...Egypt's Football Revolution is an important addition to the recent wave of sports publications on the Middle East and the ever-growing literature that uses sport as a fruitful lens through which to examine social and cultural issues. Sport historians, in particular, will be interested by the study's claim that the emotions generated by sport are a product of politics...the book is a welcome addition to scholarship on sport and society. The diverse themes and thought-provoking thesis make the study a fruitful object for future debates, and it is a must for scholars and graduate students of sport in the middle east.

— Journal of Sport History

Through detailed analysis of media, sports fans and revolutionary change, the reader follows the trajectory of the ‘national game’ from its peak of popular attraction to its fall into obscurity. With a focus on affect and emotions, this tale of football in Egypt is also one that tells of how the masculine national subject is supposed to feel, act and react to events that bring people, places, old and new media together like no other...The focus on individual interlocutors, events, and large-scale processes in an interwoven manner adds richness to the texture of this excellent piece that ought to spark interest among sports fans and academics alike.

— Anthropology Book Forum

Rommel’s book is masterful at showing the mutual nourishment of and transformations between footballing passions and political passions...The greatest merit of the book is that its particular Egyptian context engages with a question that is broadly consequential and has preoccupied some of the most seminal thinkers: how the political emerges...Rommel’s work is a great pleasure to read, and it is a significant contribution to sport anthropology as one of the few full-fledged ethnographies of football.

— Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

[A] meticulously researched book...What brings more depth and nuance to Rommel’s work is his choice of conceptual frameworks wherein emotion, masculinity and politics are in a creative, uneasy and tensed dialogue with each other all at once.

— Soccer & Society