The New ReligionOpiate of the masses
Karl Marx argued that religion is the opium of the people. But it can equally be argued that football (soccer) is the religion of our times.
There is an inherent value in following football; it can bond communities, gives people a sense of being part of something larger than themselves, and provides a diversion from the daily dramas of life. We worship at the stadium, singing hymns on the terraces to our idols, praying for success on the field. We indoctrinate our young through a plethora of cultural systems and rituals. We combine a blend of religious zeal, emotion and superstition - in support and faith.
Paradoxically, if viewed through a Marxist lens, football is a distraction aimed at diverting our attention away from issues that genuinely affect our lives. A brilliantly captivating spectacle, engineered by cunning capitalists to capture our collective hearts and minds. In an endless stream of media, TV rights, player sales, transfer windows, merchandising, increased ticket prices - we, the faithful fans, carry the extortionate financial costs, whilst they sit back and watch the cash roll-in.
'Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people.'
Karl Marx