African migrants in Asian and European football: hopes and realities

This paper analyses the integration of Africa in the global labour market of football through the study of players' migrations to Asia and Europe. The presence of African footballers in the latter continent is analysed via a statistical survey carried out in September and October 2008 on a samp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sport in society 2010-08, Vol.13 (6), p.1001-1011
Main Author: Poli, Raffaele
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Cultural Groups
Asia
Athletes
Europe
Labor Market
Labor Migration
Males
Migrants
Social Mobility
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Summary:This paper analyses the integration of Africa in the global labour market of football through the study of players' migrations to Asia and Europe. The presence of African footballers in the latter continent is analysed via a statistical survey carried out in September and October 2008 on a sample of 456 top division clubs in 30 European countries. The article emphasizes that the aspirations placed on football by male African youth, as a means of upward social mobility, are often too high when compared to the harsh realities of a transfer market based on commercial logics, which each year push many footballers away from the professional game.
ISSN:1743-0437
1743-0445
DOI:10.1080/17430437.2010.491269