In Search of “Greener Pitches”: African Footballers and Labor Market Migration in European Football
This article examines the migration of African, including Nigerian, footballers to Europe in search of better professional opportunities. The paper situates the migration of Nigerian footballers to European football clubs in the political economy of international football and the location of African...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pluto Journals
2019-09-01
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| Series: | World Review of Political Economy |
| Online Access: | https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.10.3.0377 |
| Summary: | This article examines the migration of African, including Nigerian, footballers to Europe in search of better professional opportunities. The paper situates the migration of Nigerian footballers to European football clubs in the political economy of international football and the location of African footballers in that context. The search for “greener pitches” among African footballers is, the paper argues, largely a product of a combination of political and economic factors, central to which is the neoliberal market ideology underlain by globalization and the technological breakthroughs in information and communications technology, and the massive developments that the world has witnessed in the transportation system. The paper highlights how the role of international organizations like FIFA, UEFA and CAF has led to the emergence of unscrupulous elements whose activities have served to undermine the growth and development of African football. By way of conclusion, the article suggests that unless these apex governing bodies of world football join forces, the exploitation of aspiring young African footballers seeking to migrate to Europe will persist, with grave implications for the development of the “beautiful game” in Africa. |
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| ISSN: | 2042-891X 2042-8928 |