It¡¯s often said that sport, at its heart, is inherently a substitute for war.
In Europe, the animosity that festers from centuries-old conflicts can be felt most viscerally at many of the continent¡¯s various soccer derbies. Whether it¡¯s sectarian hatred flowing down from the terraces whenever Rangers and Celtic meet in Glasgow, or the clashing political and national identities that underpin Spain¡¯s ¡°El Clasico¡± between Barcelona and Real Madrid, proxy wars take place week in, week out across the continent.
Even the absence of a clear enemy doesn¡¯t prevent sport from being co-opted for jingoistic purposes. The NFL, with its Salute to Service merchandise, patriotic ceremonies and Air Force flyovers funded by the Department of Defense, often feels like a public relations arm of the U.S. military.
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