Football is more than just a sport ; sometimes it's a true faith . While Italians may go to Mass less on Sundays, as statistics suggest, they still enjoy attending the stadium. Whether sitting in the pews or in the stands at the Olimpico, it doesn't matter: their hearts are always lifted high, but in one case turned to the Lord and in the other to their team. Let's try to see some analogies between religion and football , also looking at Francesco Totti 's recent farewell to Roma.
Religion for Durkheim
When sociologists talk about religion, they don't just think of religions like Christianity or Islam. In their eyes, religion is a more general phenomenon, composed of essential ingredients such as sacred symbols and rituals that create a sense of identity and belonging to a community. Furthermore, religion can be found in churches but also in less obvious places, such as stadiums. Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) was among the first to extend the idea of religion to areas far from those commonly considered religious. For the French sociologist, religion is a phenomenon that concerns a community ritually gathered around something sacred . There would be no difference, for example, between Christians celebrating Christmas and citizens celebrating the founding of the state. This approach allows us to find traces of religiosity even in the secular world.
The religion of football: believers or fans?
The analogies between football and religion are countless. Ultimately, devotees and fans both share a faith , which, Durkheim wrote, means " warmth, life, enthusiasm, exaltation of all mental activity, transporting the individual beyond himself ." How can we fail to see the excitement and religious fervor of the fans? But let's take a closer look at some of the similarities between football and religion. Religion creates a sense of identity and belonging. Football, like religion, brings people together, unites them, makes them feel part of a community . Even in an individualistic society like ours, a goal from your favorite team can bring strangers together to rejoice. Football is a social glue , it levels differences by creating conditions of equality that foster a sense of community: at the stadium, the manager, the employee, or the worker disappears, and only the fans remain, all equal and united by their passion for their favorite team. Just as converting to another religion is frowned upon among followers of one religion, so fans feel a bond of loyalty towards their team (woe betide anyone who changes their shirt).
The rituals
Like any religion, football has its rituals . Propitiatory ones are common: fans may carry lucky charms, such as a scarf or a shirt with the number of their favorite player. Especially evident are collective rituals, such as chants and the majestic displays of bodies moving in unison in the stands, which create the sensation of a single body, a ritual communion that transports individuals beyond themselves, merging them into the community. Footballers also have their rituals: like monks in a convent, they go on retreat, separating themselves from the world and observing rules of abstinence, for example, sexual abstinence, and on the field they perform superstitious rituals.
The sacred ball of "Saint" Francesco Totti
Religion cannot exist without sacred symbols: the flag, the scarf, the pennant, and above all, the team symbol printed on these objects. But for Roma fans, even the ball is sacred. Francesco Totti , after the last match before retiring from Roma (Sunday, May 28, 2017), wrote " I'll miss you " and signed it on it. While Antonello Venditti's "Roma Capoccia" chant resounded throughout the stadium, after a moment of silence and recollection, his head bowed, the Roma captain dropped the ball from his hands and kicked it into the stands. A lucky fan managed to catch it. He recounted many offers of money, but he refused them: " For me, it's sacred. It's priceless, I'll never part with it ." Wouldn't that have been trafficking? A true desecration? Money can do nothing against the sacred: Jesus reconsecrated the temple by driving out the merchants who did business there. Even money can be consecrated: a shopkeeper to whom Pope Francis gave five euros said he kept that money, which he will probably never spend.
But Pope Francis is the vicar of Christ, and we can understand that everything he touches can be affected by his sacredness. But Totti's ball? We must admit that if it is sacred, then so is "the captain," because only a sacred person has the power to consecrate. Theologian Leonardo Boff , on the eve of the 2014 World Cup, wrote that in football, as in religion, there exist "saints of reference like Pelé, Garrincha, Beckembauer." And we can now add: like Francesco Totti. A saint to the Roma fans, an icon of the religion of football.
Nicola Righetti
