Identity and soccer in Corsica

Abstract

For decades Corsica could be characterized as an underdeveloped, politically unstable region ridden with violence. The ‘Corsican Question’ is a complex phenomenon, created over time as a result of political conflict, social tension and economic maladies. Despite the establishment of administrative autonomy in 1991 and a slow transformation within the French state, coupled with new efforts for institutional reform in order to develop and strengthen Corsica’s political autonomy, a successful resolution of conflict in Corsica still remains quite illusory. The most popular sport in the world could be a weapon in the hands of national or ethnic minorities against the majority nation living on the island and against the state ruled by that nation. The Corsican example points up the important connection between football, politics and the question of nations and nationalities across the world. The essay examines how soccer has been used by the Corsican minority as a field of social protest, a stage for demonstrating distinctive identity. Local football is a mirror which reflects the various unresolved questions of the difficult and complex Corsican situation – Corsican identity, relations between the island and the French state, and so on. While Corsican football and the two major Corsican clubs might not ever achieve fame or a strong position in Europe, football will remain one of the most important expressions of Corsican national identity.