Emancipation for Goalposts: Football's Role in the Fall of Yugoslavia

by Chris Etchingham

In 1987, a Zvonimir Boban-inspired Yugoslavia won the World Under-20 Championships in Chile, and a blueprint for success seemed in place. What nobody could have imagined was that there was to be no future for this team of supremely talented youngsters. Just a few years later, Yugoslavia was in the grip of a brutal civil war, the culmination of nearly a century of suppressed nationalism that tore the country apart. Emancipation for Goalposts is a compelling examination of the bloody conflicts that ripped through Yugoslavia and an absorbing history of football in the region – inescapably intertwined with the country's destruction, but also a vital tool in ethnic reconciliation. From Tito, Arkan and Maksimir, to Italia '90, Red Star Belgrade's European triumph and what could have been, Chris Etchingham has created one of the definitive accounts of the inextricable links between sport, society and politics.

Genres: Football, Soccer, Sports, History, Nonfiction

228 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Jamie Langan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book although it’s more a general narrative history around football in Yugoslavia/former Yugoslavia during and after its dissolution rather than a focus on the role of the sport in the break up of the country.

[Richard Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, well-researched but ultimately unfocused history of football in the region. For a book with the subtitle "Football's Role in the Fall of Yugoslavia", it deviates from that stated mission for surprisingly long periods (eg the chapter on diaspora in Australia one, but not the only, example) and, as a result, misses out on covering some of the more comprehensive elements that would have met that target, particularly for the reader who already has a bit of knowledge on the topic.

That said, there are plenty of interesting insights, particularly early in the book, and while the criticisms don't detract greatly from my overall enjoyment of the book, there's the feeling that the author got about 2/3rds of the way into writing it, said all he felt he needed to about the main bulk of the topic and brought in elements that, while interesting, were only tangentially related.

[Joseph Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read which goes into a lot of detail on the history of football in Yugoslavia and beyond whilst providing enough context so that you don’t have to be an expert on the subject to enjoy it. Etchingham documents well what could’ve been of the promising Yugoslavia team of ‘87 and discusses how ethnic tensions and politics are linked so closely to football. Particularly interesting were the last two chapters which highlights the role of South European immigrants in Australian football and the OFFS project led by Levinsen. Overall a great book which I would have to recommend for anyone interested in football or Yugoslavia.

[Jack Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book, I’ve always been interested in the Breakup of Yugoslavia and this book covers exactly what it says on the cover.

Gives a good insight into the Slovenian War of Independance, Croatian War of Independance and the Bosnian War. Also gives a detailed account of Kosovo’s Independance and how they eventually became a member of UEFA.

The chapter on Australia seemed a little bit off track, but was a very interesting read nevertheless.

My only criticism about this book is that towards the end of the book, the part about England playing Kosovo at Wembley was incorrect - the game was played at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, not Wembley.

[Stephen Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding book. Chris is a great writer and story teller. For me, talking about war and football is great.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Was intimated when the first chapter whistled through 100+ years of history in a few pages but found out an awful lot from the book.

[Dan Howarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but ultimately there just wasn't a real narrative tug to justify the full 5 stars.