Football vs. ice hockey in the European sport landscape: an introduction

Football stand as the leading sport in most European countries in terms of revenue, market size, sponsorships, media attention and spectator numbers.However, in several European countries, ice hockey holds a similar position and, in some cases, even locally challenges football's dominance, at least periodically.For example, in a Swedish context, ice hockey was the dominant sport in Stockholm from around 1970 until the late 1990s but has since been overtaken by football.Similar patterns and dynamics can be observed in several other Swedish cities.In medium-sized cities, it seems almost impossible for an established football club to achieve long-term success in the top league-both in terms of sporting achievements and financial stability-while the city's ice hockey team simultaneously enjoys significant victories.Thus, in medium-sized cities, it appears challenging to financially and publicly support teams in both ice hockey and football at the highest level.We find similar situations, dynamics, and potential rivalries in several European countries positioned in the semi-periphery of the football landscape.Thus, the relationship between football and ice hockey in countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, and Finland is complex due to the status and significance of ice hockey.Moreover, several European clubs, particularly in larger cities, have successful teams in both ice hockey and football, such as Djurgrdens IF and AIK (Sweden), Helsingfors IFK (Helsinki), Sparta Prague, and CSKA Moscow.This challenging dynamic-relevant to scholars in both sport culture and sport management-has sparked interest, curiosity, and various lines of inquiry among us, the three editors of this issue, ultimately leading to a call for papers.Drawing on our respective expertise in ice hockey (Stark), football (Andersson), and social change (Carlsson), we have sought to merge our interests and experiences into a shared focus on the 'rivalry between football and ice hockey' .Using this acknowledgement and the accompanying minor reports as a point of departure, the ambition of this special issue is to explore and analyze the relationship between football and ice hockey in Europe from various angles and perspectives.The focus lies on identity, political ambitions, markets and sponsorship, as well as fan and spectator culture.In this context, the fundamental aim of the issue is to identify and examine the differences and similarities within the complex interplay of 'football versus ice hockey in the European sports landscape' .