From stadium to street: A sociological study of the political graffiti of football fan groups (Ultras) in Tetouan

Abstract

This article examines the graffiti of the Ultras groups—Los Matadores and Siempre Paloma—of the Moghreb Atlético Tetuán club in the city of Tetouan. We consider this practice a masculine subcultural activity that transcends the sports framework to become a political and social discourse. Using an ethnographic approach, this research reveals that graffiti serves as a visual testimony to the frustrations experienced by marginalized young men and an embodiment of the failure of public policies that have failed to integrate them. The study demonstrates that this graffiti reflects a multi-level conflict, whether with official authorities, the club's administration, or even internally between the two groups themselves. Furthermore, the graffiti is used as a strategy of resistance to express political stances, reflecting feelings of despair about the homeland and a strong desire for emigration, which highlights the relationship between the Ultras’ symbolic discourse and their socio-economic circumstances.