How does nationalism manifest itself through the game in this reading?

This was more than just a simple game of soccer. This was war; war to be the best soccer team, war to make the most money, war to be the most famous soccer club in the world. This was bigger than just soccer. Their love for their home team and country was deeper than anything else at the time. They would do whatever they had to in order to assure their team was the best; they would “escort” refs to the games, threaten players or make them miss games, and attack rival fans. In their eyes they were fighting for their country, through soccer.

            Clubs like the Red Star were hard core protectors of their teams, they would show no mercy to their rivals, they were constantly at war. After Red Star refused to be bought by infamous gangster Arkan, he set out to buy his own club, then traded up for the club Obilic. He used intimidation and fear to win his team the national championship a year after buying the team. He would not let his players drink before the game, made them shave their heads, and would even go into the rival team’s locker rooms during half time, threatening them. Eventually, the opposing team stopped leaving the field so Arkan could not come in and attack them.

            Akran was just one of many examples of leaders at this time that had their own view on nationalism, fighting to protect their national pride. To these people, this was the best way that they could show their nationalism, through violence and war. They thought that they were doing everything right for their country, attacking others and beating them down before they could rise up and do it to them. This was how they saw the world, the only way to obtain wealth, fame, and glory. While Akran was a powerful man capable of horrific things, buying the Obilic soccer team lead to his inevitable murder in a hotel lobby. The following years, his wife Ceca continued to lead the team, continuing Akran’s ideology of nationalism.