This section presents academic articles relating to anti-racism in football. It has been developed by the ‘Race, Inclusion and Communication’ endowed Chair at Erasmus University in conjunction with Fare.

In 2021 Erasmus University established a professorship, in cooperation with the Fare network, world football players’ union FIFPRO and European governing body UEFA.

The project has been conducting research on anti-racism and inclusion in football over the three years of its funding. A series of studies will look at themes such as racism experienced by players and coaches, exclusion within coaching and management, and issues at the intersection of football, race and media.

The professorship takes the form of an endowed Chair at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC), a post that is held by Jacco van Sterkenburg, and a funded PhD who is Palesa Mashigo.

Key: Below the title and author name of each work is a summary of key points.

If you have published articles from academic publications that you wish to add, please send them to us with an email introduction.

Anti-racism

'Simple rules for creating and sustaining an anti-racist sport and exercise organisation'

Year of Publication: 2025

John F. T. Fernandes, Craig Brown et al. provide guidance for anti-racism in sport and towards the development of an anti-racist culture. Click here.

'How a turn to critical race theory can contribute to our understanding of ‘race’, racism and anti-racism in sport'

Year of Publication: 2010

Kevin Hylton explores the conceptualisation of race and racism for a more effective anti-racism, using the framework of critical race theory. Click here.

'A mile wide but an inch deep: Pervasive racism in international football, symbolic compliance, and a substantive path forward'

Year of Publication: 2024

Shauhin Talesh & Spencer Levitt analyze structural failures in football organisations to address systemic racism effectively. Click here. 

Coaching & Leadership

'Understanding racism in European Football: A look at leaders’ views'

Year of publication: 2025

Palesa Mashigo, Jacco Vvan Sterkenburg, et al. aim to understand how people in charge of football organizations across Europe view racism in the sport. Click here.

'The under-representation and experiences of elite-level minority coaches in professional football in England, France and the Netherlands'

Year of Publication: 2018

Steven Bradbury, Jacco van Sterkenburg & Patrick Mignon examine the experience of elite-level minority coaches. Click here.

'Racialisation and the inequitable experiences of racialised minority coaches in men's professional football club youth academies in England'

Year of Publication: 2025

Steven Bradbury & Dominic Conricode focus on the inequitable experiences of racialised minority coaches in English football. Click here.

'The under-representation of racial minorities in coaching and leadership positions in the United States (chapter)'

Year of Publication: 2020

George B. Cunningham analyzes the exclusion of racial minorities in coaching and leadership positions within the US. Coaching & Leadership. Click here. 

'Forward Progress: The Rooney Rule and Its Post-SFFA Relevance'

Year of Publication: 2025

Jeremi Duru examines the history, effectiveness and legality of the NFL’s Rooney Rule to promote diversity in leadership roles. Click here.

'Boards for Diversity. A Critical Economic Sociology of British South Asian Senior Leaders’ Experiences of the Executive Level of Football'

Year of Publication: 2024

Stefan Lawrence, Thomas Fletcher & Daniel Kilvington identify factors regulating access to senior leadership for British South Asians in football. Click here.

'Off-Colour Landscape: Framing Race Equality in Sport Coaching'

Year of Publication: 2016

Alexandra J. Rankin-Wright, Kevin Hylton, & Leanne Norman examine how UK sport organizations have framed race, equality and diversity in sport coaching. Click here.

'The Governance Index Report'

Year of Publication: 2023

Jacco van Sterkenburg et al. report on the levels of gender and ethnic/racial representation in leadership positions in European football. Click here.

Fandom

'Racism and Russian Football Supporters’ Culture'

Year of Publication: 2018

Robert Arnold & K.M. Veth explore racism and nationalist ideology within Russian football fandom. Click here.

'Building Nations through Shared Experiences: Evidence from African Football'

Year of Publication: 2020

Emilio Depetris-Chauvin, Ruben Durante & Filipe Campante assess whether shared collective experiences help build national identity. Click here.

'How does anti-racist activism by fans challenge racism and xenophobia in European football'

Year of Publication: 2014

Mark Doidge reports on how anti-racism fan-groups are attempting to combat racism in their club, city or nation. Click here.

'Predatory fandom and autoimmune community – Polish football fandom in the search for a pure homeland'

Year of Publication: 2025

Radoslaw Kossakowski, Pawel Nozal & Wojciech Wozniak study nationalist identity and exclusion in Polish football fandom. Click here.

'‘Inclusivity for who?’: An analysis of ‘race’ and female fandom at the 2022 UEFA European Women’s Championships'

Year of Publication: 2024

Anika Leslie-Walker, Katie Taylor & Esther Jones Russel explore how welcoming and inclusive the world of football is for women of colour and people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, both as fans and potential players. Click here. 

'Talking football: Discourses about race/ethnicity among Spanish youth'

Year of Publication: 2023

Carmen Longas Luque, Mélodine Sommier & Jacco van Sterkenburg research how Spanish youth perceive media discourse on race and ethnicity. Click here. 

'National bonding and meanings given to race and ethnicity: watching the football World Cup on Dutch TV'

Year of Publication: 2013

Jacco van Sterkenburg examines how the FIFA World Cup broadcast informs understandings of race and ethnicity. Click here.

Grassroots Football

'Football for development, an arena for imperial hierarchies? Racism, the ‘white colonial frame’, and junior football in Belgium'

Year of Publication: 2023

Nathan D’Hoore & Jeroen Scheerder examine racism and colonial legacies in Belgian junior football. Click here.

'“We want more diversity but . . . ”: Resisting diversity in recreational sports clubs'

Year of Publication: 2020

Ramón Spaaij, Annelies Knoppers & Ruth Jeanes explore resistance to diversity in community sport clubs. Click here.

'‘Shepherding a leopard’: Football, masculinities and the spatial politics of xenophobia among Zimbabwean male migrants in Stellenbosch'

Year of Publication: 2016

Pamela Mangezvo explores how grassroots football creates belonging and reinforces masculinities among Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa. Click here.

'(Not) being granted the right to belong—Amateur football clubs in Germany'

Year of Publication: 2021

Tina Nobis, Carlos Gomez-Gonzalez, Cornel Nessler & Helmut Dietl focus on the exclusion of immigrants from amateur football clubs in Germany. Click here.

Media and Gaming

'Sports media professionals reflect on racial stereotypes and ethnic diversity in the organisation'

Year of publication: 2021

Jacco van Sterkenburg, Matthias de Heer & Palesa Mashigo investigate how people working in Dutch sports media think about diversity, ethnicity, and racial stereotypes in their work. Click here.

'Can exposure to celebrities reduce prejudice? The effect of Mohamed Salah on Islamophobic behaviours and attitudes'

Year of Publication: 2021

Ala’alrababa’h & William Marble et al. analyse whether exposure to celebrities from stigmatised groups reduces prejudice. Click here.

'‘He is like a Gazelle (when he runs)’ (re)constructing race and nation in match-day commentary at the men’s 2018 FIFA World Cup'

Year of Publication: 2020

Paul Ian Campbell & Louis Bebb examine the language and racial framing used in football media. Click here.

'‘White digital footballers can’t jump’: (re)constructions of race in FIFA 20'

Year of Publication: 2021

Paul Ian Campbell & Marcus Maloney analyse how the video game FIFA 20 reproduces racial stereotypes. Click here.

Online Racism

'‘Racist behaviour is interfering with the game’: exploring football fans’ online responses to accusations of racism in football'

Year of Publication: 2021

Jonathan Cable, Daniel Kilvington & Glyn Mottershead explore football fans' attitude towards 'race' and racism in English football. Click here.

'Tackling social media abuse. Critically assessing English football’s response to online racism'

Year of Publication: 2019

Daniel Kilvington & John Price assess how English football responds to online racism. Click here. 

'Expressing rivalry online: antisemitic rhetoric among Dutch football supporters on Twitter'

Year of Publication: 2022

Jasmin Seijbel, Jacco van Sterkenburg & Gijsbert Oonk analyse antisemitic discourse among Dutch football fans online. Click here.

Racial Stacking

'Racial stacking in professional football in Germany'

Year of Publication: 2023

Tina Nobis & Felicia Lazaridou analyse institutionalised racism and positional segregation in German football. Click here.

Racism in Football (General)

'Racism and European football (chapter)'

Year of Publication: 2017

Mark Doidge analyses the complexities of racism throughout European football, focusing on structural racism and anti-racism. Click here.

'“Big, strong, reliable guys who have the legs to run”: racialised stereotypes of the African player and talent development systems in West Africa'

Year of Publication: 2025

Ikechukwu Ejekwumadu studies how European stereotypes influence Nigerian football talent development. Click here.

'What equal playing field? Players' perspectives on discrimination in football'

Year of Publication: 2021

FIFPRO reports on the negative impact discriminatory language has on football players. Click here.

'Anti-Asian Racism in Football'

Year of Publication: 2025

Elisa Puppo & Shintaro Tsuji document anti-Asian discrimination across football in Asia and Oceania. Click here.

'A Critical Race Theory analysis of the English Premier League: Confronting the declining significance of ‘race’ and racism myth'

Year of Publication: 2017

Stefan Lawrence explores systemic inequalities in the Premier League through a CRT lens. Click here.

'Racism in Football in Portugal: Perceptions of multiple actors'

Year of Publication: 2023

Sofia Neves & Joana Topa et al. explore perceptions of racism among players, coaches, journalists and fans. Click here.

'Collective identity and forms of abuse and discrimination in football fan culture. A case study on antisemitism (chapter)'

Year of Publication: 2021

Emma Poulton explores antisemitism and discrimination in European football fan cultures. Click here.