Introduction

Previous chapters of this volume have presented an extensive descriptive and empirical analysis of English club football. Chapter 13 widens the perspective, by providing a brief description of the historical development and present-day competitive and commercial structure of football in five other countries from around the world. Sections 13.1 and 13.2 examine two further major Western European footballing powers: France and Germany. Section 13.3 examines Brazil, whose national team's highly skilled attacking style of play in several successive World Cup tournaments, especially during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, gained plaudits and admirers throughout the world. Finally, Sections 13.4 and 13.5 examine Japan and China, two east Asian countries in which attempts were made during the 1990s and 2000s to establish professional football as a popular spectator sport in territories with none of the longstanding traditions of participation and fanaticism that have characterised football in many other countries.

France

Football was first introduced into France, as in a number of other countries, by travelling British businessmen during the late nineteenth century. The first club was founded in the port city of Le Havre in 1872 by members of shipping and transit companies who wished to play both football and rugby. A number of other multi-sports clubs were formed in the 1870s and 1880s, before clubs devoted exclusively to football began to appear during the 1890s. The first national cup tournament was won by Standard AC in 1894, and an embryonic league competition was won by Club Français in 1896.