Soccer Culture

Soccer has its own culture. The culture of soccer games does not only refer to soccer news, soccer articles in sports sections, soccer rumors and gossip, but also to many different sociological, political and economical aspects of the game. The term "soccer" is popular in countries where this kind of sport is not as popular as the others; however, in many countries it is referred to simply as football. Soccer fans are divided into "derbies". These are the matches between rivals, which receive large support from the fans. The soccer matches in these cases often resemble political and social battles, rather than sports championships. This socio-historical aspect of derbies is also emphasized by the fact, that many clubs are considered rivals from the traditional, historical point of view. Soccer news and articles about soccer usually pay special attention to the long rivalry between the clubs and try to predict the possible chances of winning. The differences between soccer clubs also carry socio-political and economical characteristics, usually of a long tradition. The rivalry can be based on territorial differences, when playing region against region; on historical differences, when one of the clubs continuously suffered defeat; on political differences and so on. Soccer has its own large industry of banners, scarves and hats with the team symbol, of different signs which express support for the specific team. Different football attributes, such as soccer balls signed by the teams, are regarded as valuable souvenirs, and serve a part of soccer industry. The importance of soccer in society of today is a widely recognized issue in many socio-political discussions.