Two Players - One Goal?

European sports have long been one step ahead of economic and political trends on the path towards the social and cultural integration of Europe, thereby laying initial foundations for a converging Europe. However, political integration has meanwhile gained momentum, catching up with, and indeed, overtaking sports. The first part of the book is dedicated to outlining the historical, political, legal and institutional basis of the European unification process. The second part describes and analyses the sports policy of the European Union, focusing on a number of topics such as the "Bosman Case", broadcasting rights or the problems associated with doping. In the third and last part of the book, the sports structures of the EU Member States and three candidate countries are outlined in 18 comparative profiles.