A Comparison of Football Fan Activism in Ukraine and Germany

During the last decade, football fans in Germany and Ukraine have become increasingly active in the struggle for their interests. This article compares their respective activism based on reasons, tactics and spaces of activism over a span of eight years. The comparison shows that national politics are a dominant motive for Ukrainian fan activism, especially after the so-called Revolution of Dignity (Euromaidan) in 2014, including the Russian invasion. Politics is so important that activism is politically framed in this context even if non-political players like club management or the football association are addressed. In Germany, football’s governance is the major reason for fan activism, as fans strive to preserve or extend their influence on clubs’ and associations’ decisions. This difference emphasises the influence of national settings on fan activism. Concerning space and tactics, the samples show similarities, as in both countries ultras are the dominant type of fan group, an intersection of global ultra culture and activism tactics exists and activism mainly takes place in football stadiums. Therefore, fan activism can be understood as a globally connected movement that is nonetheless highly determined by the respective local context.