Antisemitism in Dutch Football

Uncovering how antisemitic language and symbols have become normalized in Dutch football culture

Overview

This research project examines how antisemitism has become embedded in Dutch men’s professional football. It looks at anti-Jewish language, imagery, and symbolism in stadiums, on social media, and during matchday rituals. It asks how antisemitic expressions and symbolism have become normalised in football fan culture, with a particular focus on embodied and affective experiences of discrimination in stadiums.

Ongoing

A black recycling symbol with two circular arrows on an orange background.
A soccer match in a large stadium with many spectators. Players are on the field, with some in maroon and others in dark uniforms. The stands are filled with fans, and there are advertisements along the wall behind the spectators.

“Understanding the power of antisemitism in football is key to changing it”

Project Team

A woman with light brown hair and blue eyes wearing a black blazer, standing indoors with a blurred background.
A portrait of a middle-aged man with curly, light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a light blue collared shirt, smiling softly against a plain light background.

Key Goals

An animated black cat with green eyes, a pink nose, and a wide smile, sitting with its tail curled around its body.

Examine how antisemitic chants, imagery, and rituals have become part of football fan culture.

A black silhouette of an airplane flying through the sky with clouds.

Understand how football institutions, media, and online spaces contribute to the persistence and acceptance of antisemitism.

Silhouette of a sleeping cat curled up on a flat surface. 
Investigate how antisemitism is embodied, felt, and confronted by Jewish and non-Jewish supporters in stadiums.

Methodology

Multi-Method Approach

Combining ethnographic fieldwork, participant observation, social media analysis, and in-depth interviews.

Embodied & Affective Lens

Using perspectives from cultural studies and sociology to understand how antisemitism is experienced, felt, and reproduced in football contexts.

Contextual Comparison

Examining antisemitic practices across stadium rituals, online spaces, and institutional responses.

Relevant Resources

Antisemitism in Dutch Football: From (No) Punishment to Education

Seijbel, J., van Sterkenburg, J., Oonk, G., Verhoeven, J., & Wagenaar, W. (2025)

Online Football-related Antisemitism in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-method Analysis of the Dutch Twittersphere

Seijbel, J., van Sterkenburg, J., & Spaaij, R. (2023)

Expressing Rivalry Online: Antisemitic Rhetoric among Dutch Football Supporters on Twitter

Seijbel, J., van Sterkenburg, J., & Oonk, G. (2022)