Discourse Analysis Of International Football Matches In Iran From 1960s To 1990s

This research aims at studying broadcast media coverage of some football matches that have been played amid political and social tensions of the 60s, 70s and 80s. At first, the study provides an analysis of the struggles between the discourses of each period, then it identifies the hegemonic discourse in each decade. In addition, the following research aims to analyze and comment on the discourses that seek after a national identity that has been formed in different historical ages. For this purpose, we ve chosen three football matches of these three decades with targeted sampling method to be discussed based on Laclau and Mouffe s discourse analysis. These three matches are Iran vs. Israel in May 1968, Iran vs. Netherlands in June 1978, and Iran vs. South Korea in October 1990. The reportage of Iran - Israel match is in a more realistic and objective tone, whereas the one on June 1978 is more informed by ideology, and in the 1990s it gets even more ideological. In conclusion, based on the results of this research, between the 1960s and 1970s, we can see a vacillation in discourse between Realistic View and Idealistic View , after the Islamic revolution National Identity has changed into Religious Identity and Ideological Borders replace Geographical Borders in idealistic discourse. Accordingly, in the texts of the 60s, 70s and 80s Realistic , Idealistic and Religious discourses can be identified.