47' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim awards freekick to Iran. Nassif, Nadim. In some of the interviews, some players recalled certain events that influenced fans. Saunders, Mark, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill. A possible explanation could be recent support that basketball has been receiving over football. Upcoming Fixtures; Past Results; Stats; Transfer News; Other. All respondents volunteered to participate. Approximately 73% of respondents claimed that the impact of politics on sports is not positive (disagreed or strongly disagreed), and 88% strongly agreed or agreed that politics affects sports negatively in Lebanon. United Arab Emirates. Richard M. Greenwald, Laura A. Flashman, Keith D. Paulsen, and Thomas W. This can be seen during games when fans of one team can get physically and verbally violent toward the fans of another. Participants (N = 295) were asked to specify their political and religious affiliations. Even after hundreds of years, the Catholic-Protestant rivalry is portrayed through football between the Celtics, founded in 1887 by a Catholic brother, and the Rangers, founded in 1972, which became a team of the Scottish Protestant working class (PA Team, 2018). 29' Shojae Khalilzadeh has recovered and rejoins the match. A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered. Below you find a lot of statistics for this team. Brand Communication through Digital Other matches that strike an interest to the fans are games between Nejmeh and Alahed due to hidden political tensions that spark a competitive status from the teams as they are represented by Haraket Amal (Hope Movement) and Hezbollah respectively, both from the Shia Muslim sect (Maugendre 2018). Group-Wise Evaluation and Comparison of White Matter The Ultras Ahlawy. The Century Foundation. However, violence can also spark as a result of religious and political tension between the fans of the teams (Maugendre 2018). While in the latter statement, 60% refused to reply to the statement, marking the results to be inconclusive. This study has shown that the majority of the owners influence their followers on social media and occasionally announce their opinions and guide the fan base. 2017, October 03. Player Political Status and Personal Goals. Iran vs Lebanon National Football Team FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2022 Live Score . 2021. Who we are. However, when it comes to getting involved in specific issues that matter, there were no significant results due either mixed opinions (f) or their refusal to reply to the statement (g). The stadium has 45,000 seats, and during such matches (prior to Covid-19), the stadium welcomes the audience in full capacity. All statements were measured using a Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree (Fans: = .800, M = 3.561 SD = .770; Owners: = .779, M = 3.345 SD = .570). Arab Media & Society (Issue 33, Winter/Spring 2022) This study attempts to identify how this integration influences the sports industry, with a specific focus on basketball and football. The squad is governed by the Asian Football Confederation continentally, and FIFA worldwide. 80 % . 12' Nour Mansour has recovered and rejoins the match. The national sport movement encompasses the numerous fans and spectators in the country that are in support of the various sports played. 26' Shojae Khalilzadeh is injured and down on the field. After the war ended, the Taif Accord was ratified by parliament in 1989 with the aim of eradicating political sectarianism as an essential national objective (The Taif Agreement 1989, p. 5). By Ahmad Nasrallah & Jessica R. El-Khoury Also, the different attitudes of fans towards loyalty to political parties and religious sects and their connection to the respective teams were a novel point in the study. London: 40' Iran player Saeid Ezatollahi strikes the header off target, ball is cleared by the Lebanon. It deals with the role of the mainstream media in addition to the present day's social media influence. Perhaps the new fame of many players is one of the possible reasons why the funding system in basketball is more welcomed than football. Politics in Italian Football: Mussolini, Needing the sponsorship and the funds, teams sometimes tend to accept or overlook certain decisions made by owners, and even if some do not agree with the decisions, they tend to continue supporting them. 2008. Australia: Wadsworth/CENGAGE Learning 2021-11-16. Traboulsi, Fawwaz. Most of the neutral answers were confined to questions concerning vocalizing opinions on social media or disagreeing with opinion leaders. Many of the fans consider themselves extremely loyal to the political party they belong to, and even in the sports sector, they tend not to express their opinions since they do not want to upset their political leaders (again especially when they are team sponsors) or the mass opinion. Uzunolu, Ebru, Sema Misci Kip. All statements were measured using a Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree (Fans: = .800. The Two-Step Flow of Communication in Twitter-Based Public 75' Iran player Alireza Jahanbakhsh strike shot on target, successfully cleared by the Lebanon. Average sum of goals scored by the team and the opponent, Matches in which the team scored a goal in both halves, Matches in which the team lost a goal in both halves. 2015. VS. LEB. Due to the limited number of female football and basketball teams in Lebanon and the lack of their popularity compared to mens teams, only one female football player was interviewed to get a females point of view and the influence of politics on womens teams. However, when it comes to winning games, around 50% believe that politics interfere in the games outcomes. 49' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim awards freekick to Lebanon. adi-homenetmen_game The extent of communication and its impact were discussed in question 5. 3rd ed. (Hope Movement) and Hezbollah respectively, both from the Shia Muslim sect (Maugendre 2018). The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.. Oxford University The PA Team. 43' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim awards freekick to Iran. 1995. Table 3 below specifies the player, along with their club affiliations. Twenty-eight percent stated that they support other football teams whose religious affiliation is also Shia Muslim. Farah, Yoosof. From the ancient times of the Roman Colosseum to the present times of Yankee Stadium, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics, sports have played a pivotal role in societies across the globe. The respondents were mostly Shia Muslim, which did not provide an equal demographic distribution. [4], The Lebanese Elite and Challenge Cup was supposed to kick off on 22 August 2020 with the preparatory tournament. Moreover, only 20% do not believe that they have access to information that they need. Franco Years in Spain through El Clsico: FC Barcelona vs. Real Social media serves as a powerful social platform for the spread of mass opinion, and it is one of the objectives of the study to explore the influence of opinion leaders on fan base in sports as well as the reaction of the latter on popular opinions set by the former. 84' Fu Ming has awarded corner kick to Iran. Basketball players were less determined to consider the interference of politics in Lebanon as negative. However, this interplay is dynamic, and fans feel that they prefer not to voice their opinions when a matter could endanger the overall wellbeing of the political party, especially if that political party is funding the team, hence the Spiral of Silence effect. One of the major limitations was time constraint and the global situation (e.g., COVID-19). Forums. Social Science Computer Review 33 (6): 696711. Sharif, Amani. Your login session has expired. The political parties each represent a certain religious sect in Lebanon. 2009, June 25. 2012. Opinion Leaders, Team, and Fans: An Interplay Trichotomy. 2014. This study examined the inevitable influence of politics and religion on sports in Lebanon. Please logout and login again. The teams get external sponsors, like Manoukian, and are not funded by the actual political party the team is affiliated to, nonetheless the political connection remains, more so with the fans than the players or owners resulting in this paradox. None of the interviewees admitted their political affiliation except for B5, who stated that he prescribes to the same political views as his team, but he also emphasized the fact that his statement derives from a cultural perspective (Armenian bondage). 0 %. https://punditarena.com/football/thepateam/explained-the-bitter-religiousdivide-behind-celticrangers-rivalry/#:~:text=Celtic and Rangers have Some players get kicked off a team. Chichester, U.K: Wiley. Perhaps then, one of the main reasons Lebanon was not able to disentangle the involvement of politics in sports is the vital need for a financial sponsor or supporter, and when it comes to funding, a price is always paid. Blunt Impact to the Chest Leading to Sudden Death from Cardiac Arrest Just a Few Rogues? Participants were asked to identify which sports team they are a fan of, their fan behavior (e.g., supporting the team), as well as their attitude about the sports team that they support (e.g., the best team) and if the team is affiliated with a certain political party. Football Teams in Lebanon and their Affiliations, Basketball Teams in Lebanon and their Affiliations. Visit ESPN to view the latest Lebanon news, scores, stats, standings, rumors, and more The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of politics on Lebanese sports in the two most prominent sports fields, football and basketball, using the Spiral of Silence and the Two-Step theories investigated through a mixed methods approach (survey: fan participants, and interviews: professional players). This does not mean though that they would not voice their loyalty to the team. On the other hand, the Turkish flag is insulting to Homentmen fans, who belong to the Tashnag party and are of Armenian origin. These seemingly transparent diverse representations and/or boundaries present in the sport are governed by their corresponding political party to maintain political security and balance (Faour 2007). The heated rivalry and the events that often take place are not strange in Lebanon, and are embedded in political and religious undertones. Since a specific religious group occupies each geographical area in Lebanon, it seems that the common situation is to have the sports teams of this geographical area that is occupied by a specific religion support the political party that represents the religion. 2013. While previous literature has looked into politics and religion in sports in Lebanon, no study has tackled this integration in detail, particularly taking into consideration fan attitude and behavior. doi: 10.30958/ajspo.5-3-3. 55' Iran player strike shot on target, successfully cleared by the Lebanon. In her interview, when asked about the results of the integration, F5 stated that [she doesnt] think this [the results of the integration] is a big deal as long as it does not affect the teammates, yet did not fail to recognize how it is not often the case and how teammates can be caught in the political battle. The vast majority of fan participants (65%) stated that they do not fear voicing their opinions to religious leaders and political figures who are affiliated with their favorite team. 2009. Women's Football Lebanon wins the 2019 U-15 West Asian Football Championship. The following summarizes the communication methods used by the opinion leaders and how they share their thoughts to followers. 90'+1' Sardar Azmoun scores the goal for Iran score 1-1. Retrieved May 23, 2022 25' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim has awarded corner kick to Iran. 0 Wins. 90'+6' Ahmad Noorollahi scores the goal for Iran score 1-2. Sport Matters: Sociological Studies of Sport, Violence and Civilisation. He discusses that politics and sectarianism have damaged basketball in Lebanon since this was reflected in a prospective ban of the Lebanese Basketball Association from being a member of FIBA. Lebanon Squad AFC Asian Cup Intercontinental Cup (India) International Friendly FIFA World Cup Qualifying - AFC AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers AFC Champions League hidden 2023-24 hidden This study makes use of mixed methods research design, which includes both quantitative (survey to understand fans attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews with team players) in order to depict the relationship between politics/religion and sports in Lebanon. Social Research Methods. This match is usually played in the Camille Chamoun Stadium (known as Madine Reyadiyeh or literally Sports City). 55' Lebanon player Mohamad Kdouh hits a shot, successfully blocked by Iran. 58 The Integration of Politics and Sports in Lebanon When asked to evaluate their motivation for wanting to win a game (patriotic vs. political), answers leaned mostly towards patriotism. Match played behind closed doors due to the, 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification AFC second round, 2021 Armenia Women's International Friendly Tournament, "The 2020-2021 Lebanese Premier League schedule has been revealed", "List of Licensed Clubs for the 2022 AFC Cup", "The new technical system for Elite and Challenge Cup", ": ", "September kick off for new Lebanese season | Football News |", " ", " ", "LFA cancels all on-going tournaments and postpone the Premier League", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=202021_in_Lebanese_football&oldid=1131472801, This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 09:04. According to Neumman (1974), the more a person's opinion is backed by the majoritys point of view, the greater the likelihood that they are prepared to communicate it in the public arena. Nassif (2014) indicates that there is a great deal of corruption in the nations sports industry as a result of the meddling and intrusion by the political figures in the club administrations; thus, politicization of sports in Lebanon has been unavoidable. Many of the fan respondents consider themselves as potential leaders capable of affecting other fans. In the Lebanese sports context, this theory helps investigate whether the minority are able to voice their opinion about Lebanese sports teams, especially when these sports teams are controlled by a majority with specific political and religious affiliations. doi:10.1177/1012690208101682. 60' Substitution by Iran player Saman Ghoddos make way for Milad Mohammadi. Sports 5 (3): 213225. Communication 57(4): 785-802. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2007.00368.x Association (The LFA). Bumi, Gentara Alam, Maitri Apsari Widyakirana. The official site of the international governing body of football with news, national associations, competitions, results, fixtures, development, organisation, world . Many of the teams, whether in football or basketball, have reached a degree of fame that has attracted many fans and some of the teams have also gained international recognition (Sharif 2017) As a result, fans (as seen in the tables above) have become invested in these sports and have followed them and attended many of their games. 87' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim awards freekick to Lebanon. The integration of politics in sports is not only exclusive to Lebanon but is a worldwide phenomenon and can be seen in Middle Eastern countries (e.g., Egypt) and European (e.g., Spain, UK). 2017, September 26. 78' Iran player Milad Sarlak hits a shot, successfully blocked by Lebanon. However, there were consequences to their efforts, such as stigmatization and eventually the government banning fans from attending football matches in stadiums, leading the team to lose their main space for expression (Ennarah 2017). When the Battle is Not Just Confined to the Pitch. 11' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim awards freekick to Lebanon. Sports Culture in Lebanon In Lebanon, football and basketball are considered the two most popular sports in the country (Sharif 2017). Arab Media & Society (Issue 33, Winter/Spring 2022) However, only a quarter of participants emphasized that they agree with statements, and a slightly higher percentage of fans admitted to avoiding replying to comments and remaining neutral to avoid conflict. Druckman, James N., Mauro Gilli, Samara Klar, Joshua Robison. Gearhart, Sherice, and Weiwu Zhang. AFC Cup; Youth Football; Men's Futsal; . Retrieved June 9, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42704713 In relation to the Two-Step Flow theory, some fans consider themselves opinion leaders in relation to the other fans. Some others stated that they were also ready to connect with fans on a personal basis, including but not limited to during practices, after games, and in public spaces (restaurants, streets, and cafes). 53' Hussein Zein has recovered and rejoins the match. At these games, aggressive rivalry dominates the sports arena, and as shown in the Facebook post below with the caption It is not a story of commission nor trophy nor triumph. 88' Substitution by Iran player Sadegh Moharrami make way for Danial Esmaeilifar. The fifth player of each category (basketball and football) are captains of their teams. In the end, it is a sport, so it is not a place where I fight for the cause of the political party; its not the case; definitely, its not how I work at least. Finally, raising awareness by organizing campaigns can also be a small yet positive step towards achieve political and religious segregation from sports. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the players were interviewed using Whatsapp or Skype. Celtic-Rangers: Old Firm the Most Heated Rivalry in Also, and surprisingly, many fans replied with neutral when asked about who funds their favorite team. Similarly, out of the 12% who stated that they support the Future Movement (Tayyar el Moustakbal), approximately 91% were Muslim Sunna, and all support Al-Ansar football team. 36' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim awards freekick to Lebanon. 42' Soony Saad is injured and down on the field. Men's football AFC Cup 2021 Zonal semi-finals 2022 Group stage Group A Source: AFC (H) Host Group C Source: AFC (H) Host Notes: ^ a b Head-to-head points: Tishreen 3, Nejmeh 0. 7' Iran player hits a shot, successfully blocked by Lebanon. This was the case with Guy Manoukian, who is a Lebanese-Armenian musician who financially supports the Lebanese Armenian team (Homenetmen) as opposed to any other Lebanese team (. It is important to note that the Spiral of Silence is about people who conform to the opinion of the majority in fear of isolation (Gearhart and Zhang 2015). Most of the interviewees stated that they connect with their fans via social media platforms. Matches in which team and opponent scored goal (Both teams to score). 4' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim has awarded corner kick to Iran. Preview Overview Live Line-up Stats H2H Table Social. #YallaLebnen | #_ 31 May 2023 13:17:22 The lack of transparency in the funding system and nepotism were common in this sector and lack of transparency in allocation of money to associations and different federations were expected (Rice et al. The sample representation and size were also an issue due to the limited time and religious affiliation. : Football Ultras, Clubs and Politics in 90'+7' Substitution by Lebanon player Bassel Jradi make way for Walid Shour. These interviewees included ten professional players (1st division players), five football, and five basketball players from different basketball and football clubs across Lebanon. 61' Alireza Jahanbakhsh is injured and down on the field. Lately, they have also included bloggers (Uzunolu and Kip 2013) as well as social media influencers. Scalia, Vincenzo. [3] Due to the 201920 Lebanese Premier League being canceled, the tournament was supposed to feature a joint-qualifying tournament for the Lebanese Elite Cup and Lebanese Challenge Cup between the 12 Lebanese Premier League teams, to decide which six teams would have played in the Elite Cup, and which six in the Challenge Cup. However, the fans might be unaware of that, and many fans tend to have a more positive attitude towards religion than politics, hence separating the former from the latter. 2010-2019 Results list Lebanon's goal tally first. The theory makes the argument that notions and ideas will emanate from the mainstream media to leaders who are opinionated and thereafter from opinionated leaders to the segments of the populations that are less active and are less knowledgeable (Katz 1955). 40' Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Jassim has awarded corner kick to Iran. Casinelli, J. Since the formation of Lebanon, many political parties have formed. social media team page). Arab Media & Society (Issue 33, Winter/Spring 2022) 2019, May 16. Lebanese Sport Characteristics and Difficulties Plan for Development. Saarbrucken, Ennarah, Karim. In addition, out of the 17% who support Al-Ansar team, 94% support Al-Riyadi basketball team, which is also affiliated with the Future Movement; 91% of those are Muslim Sunna. This delicate balance, based on religious division or distribution, has permeated itself into different forms and discourses in the country, including but not limited to geopolitics, education, media, and sports. Maugendre, Axel. These theories are used to help determine the degree (e.g., Two-Step Flow) and independence of vocalization (e.g., Spiral of Silence) of opinions. 100 %. As Hayes (2007) suggested, people are more likely to voice their opinion in a friendly environment than in a hostile one, thus in hostile environments people might confirm, or become silenced (e.g., not claiming a different political affiliation than the group). Team Players Influencing Decision Making and Fans. In Lebanon, sports have been heavily linked to politics and religion. This interrelatedness of sports, religion, and politics in Lebanon creates a chain reaction effect; if sports are influenced by one then it must be influenced by the other and similarly if anything impacts politics then the sport (team, fans) too is impacted. For example, 70% either agreed or strongly agreed to the fact that they can influence decisions in their areas. 90'+1' Fu Ming awards freekick to Lebanon. 30' Jihad Ayoub has recovered and rejoins the match. Also, it can potentially be attributed to a younger generation of fans who are willing to freely express their thoughts and challenge the status quo. The Turkish flag they are carrying has multiple connotations. For example, B1 stated that he once, asked fans of [his] club to stop chanting certain derogatory terms to a specific group, and they accepted and never did it again. Also, B5 mentioned that he had on many occasions influenced his fans: . The results of this study show that the political parties in Lebanon are supported by their corresponding religious sects. 2018). During Sports Activities. New England Journal of Medicine 333 (6): 337-342. Mainly, 63% of respondents noted that the team they support is affiliated to the religious group they belong to or identify with. The Future Movement political party is predominantly associated with Sunni Muslims and the Al Riyadi team in basketball and Al Ansar team in football (Reiche 2011) Likewise, the Lebanese Forces, another Lebanese political party mainly associated with Christians is a supporter of Sagesse basketball team (Najjar 2017). Similar to fan responses, team members, or all interviewees, football and basketball, admit that sports in Lebanon is highly influenced mostly by politics. 78' Fu Ming has awarded corner kick to Iran. Questions 4 and 5 were directly related to fans. Many found pride in winning for their country and not for their political party (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, and B4), but B2 and B5 pointed out that since teams represent political parties, it is inevitable not to represent them, and this sometimes overshadows a national or patriotic spirit. 2010. Madrid. The rest would be watching from cafes or homes. When asked about how politics and religion are integrated with sports in Lebanon and what the impacts of this integration are (questions 7 and 8 of the interview), the answers varied, but all pointed out the negative impact of this integration in the sports world. 2013); as was the case with the fan participants who believe that they can influence their teams.

Cleveland Trick-or Treat 2022, Best Cold Meatloaf Sandwich, Using Av Receiver As Preamp, Advanced Standing Program Dentistry, Eurofins Bangalore Address,