Football Presidents: Towards a Typology of Political Cultures sheds light on an often-overlooked dimension of football culture: club presidents. This book explores the political cultures of club presidents across countries and contexts, offering fresh insights into the leaders behind the beautiful game.

Bringing together studies from a wide range of geographical, historical, and political contexts― from Italy to Turkey, from Brazil to Ecuador―this volume develops a typology of political cultures in football leadership. The contributions address central themes such as local power and football, populism, gender, capitalism, tradition, and innovation. By assembling a range of perspectives and case studies, this volume represents a first attempt to systematically address this underexplored dimension of the game.

This volume spans multiple disciplines including Sports Sociology, Political Science, Cultural Studies, Football History, Organizational Leadership, and Comparative Politics, making it valuable for interdisciplinary research and teaching. It is a vital resource for researchers, practitioners, and anyone seeking to comprehend the complex power dynamics behind the world’s most beloved sport.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.