Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho at Manchester United or pushed back against their club’s owner in Chelsea, fans have shown that they are willing to use their passion for football as a weapon in the fight for change. This article presents some of their protest stories and highlights the potential of fan activism as a form of nonviolent resistance.
We analysed fan activism in two different national settings – Ukraine and Germany – over a period of eight years (2014 to 2021). The results show that in both countries, ultras are the dominant type of fan group and activist actions are framed by local political and social circumstances. Fan activism related to the code of politics mainly addresses corruption and nepotism in football governance, while actions that address societal issues are often framed with nationalist themes. In both countries, fans also engage in solidarity campaigns for detained activists and blood donations for soldiers, and they support nationalistic figures that are often associated with the football club.
Moreover, activism related to the club level largely addresses issues of the atmosphere, such as ticket prices or stadium conditions. However, some clubs’ fans have also acted in response to other societal concerns and problems by organising donation campaigns, like when Hertha BSC’s fans organised shopping services for people with health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, some fan groups have partnered with other organisations to act as intermediators, for instance by providing food for homeless people and offering registration for leukaemia aid (Faszination Fankurve, 2015b, January 12). These examples highlight the potential of fan activism to contribute to wider society and beyond its own community.