Communism, Fascism and Football

Two documentaries about football (soccer) during the rule of fascism and communism in Europe.

- Communism and Football

- Fascism and Football

Communism and Football

Footballers from Russia, Hungary and East Germany recall how the Beautiful Game was manipulated for political ends during the Cold War. Despite the high stakes, many courageous footballers resisted attempts by ruthless leaders from the Eastern Bloc's totalitarian regimes to exploit their sporting celebrity for political gain, with their careers often being destroyed as a result.

Fascism and Football

How has the Beautiful Game played into fascist ideology? BBC Four explores how the 20th century's three most prominent fascist dictators, Mussolini, Hitler and Franco, seized upon football's massive popular appeal and ruthlessly exploited it as a vehicle for propaganda.

We explore allegations that Mussolini fixed the 1934 World Cup final; how Hitler saw the 1936 Olympics and 1938 World Cup as the defining moments of the superiority of his fascist regime and how General Franco used Real Madrid to cement himself in power, inspire national pride and win popular consent for his autocratic rule.

The documentary uses rare archive footage, eminent historians and trenchant contributions and testimonies from world-class players, past and present.

Number of files: 2
Run time: 2 hours (2 x 1 hour)
Video codec: xvid, 767 kbps, 352x288, 4:3, PAL, 25 fps
Audio codec: mp3, 64 kbps, 44 kHz, mono, vbr
Source: TV (4:3, PAL)

Air date: Fascism: 2003, Communism: 2006