Summary Of Laurent Dubois's Soccer Empire

In the novel Soccer Empire by Laurent Dubois it outlines the diversity of the French National Soccer team and its connections to colonial and post-colonial history in France and other countries. Almost all the French players had roots in the Caribbean and Africa. As early as the 1930s the French professional teams were recruiting from the colonies of the French Empire. Zinedine Zidane and Lilian Thurman were both incredible French football players. They were both born in 1972 and grew up in the outskirts of France. The book discusses the history through the careers of Zidane and Thurman, who both were recruited to football academies as teenagers. They met for the first time at the French National team tryouts. Football is similar to a universal

The chapters were thoughtfully to better understand the influence of the French colonies. In the first sections, the migration of players and the development of the sport locally is discussed. He traces back the historical roots of the incredible Lillian Thurman and Zinedine Zidane. This visibility of immigrant players created large amounts of political and social discussion. After discussions of the 1998 World Cup, the tensions rise in the France- Algeria game. That football match was interrupted by football fans entering the field, which had a figurative meaning. Dubois explains, “The France-Algeria game would be a powerful tool for those who wished to portray the dream of a multicultural France as nothing more than a silly, indeed dangerous utopia” (Dubois 210). This football match illustrates the post-colonial emotions and its impact on soccer. His writing helps shape the history of French soccer and how it was globalized through these two players. Dubois’s novel gave a great perspective and interesting background that was enjoyable to read. The images throughout the novel also helped make connections. Overall Laurent Dubois’s Soccer Empire does a great job exploring the history of French