Football is life: the loves and madness of Roma Tifosi

This paper takes the cultural text of Association football (soccer) and some media texts created in response to it, to explore the passions linked to the game. In particular, we examine several poems and ‘recitativo’ (spoken moments in musical performances) to trace some links between the notions of love, suffering and madness that are referred to so often in conversations regarding the cultural texts of Association football. As part of this we draw on aspects of psychoanalysis which provide an entry point into thinking through possible connections between love, play and suffering. At issue are questions of how a game played by other people can be so important in the intimate daily and seasonal lives of so many people, as well as the specific interplay between love, desire, masculinity and loss.