Sociologické aspekty komercializace fotbalu: nástin problematiky

A goal of this article is formulating of selected sociological contexts of the commerialization of football in context of modernization of society and the generalization of market (Polanyi). Close attention is paid to the situation in England which was in large measure determining for development of this phenomenon, altghouh other regions are not neglected too. Integration of football into the market economy has been coming through gradational adaptation of basic institutions to necessities of market in place of previous non-market motivations and forms, integration of football into the consumer culture through mass medias (including development of sponsorship), constitution of football as a gainful job and then deregulation of football labour market, change of social status of the best players and upward social mobility of the professional players, transformations of social identities of football fans and in end result creation of the relatively autonomus unequal economic structure both in national and world scale with its imanent financial problems. On the other hand, in society there still exist various forms of back-pressure against relative dominance of market and private corporations.