Thanks, Boss!

18 November | Launch event for the ninth issue of Football(s). History, Culture, Economy, Society

Wednesday

November

2026

6:30 pm

8:00 pm

Who runs football? Behind the iconic figures of club presidents, federation executives, and coaches lie the forms of power, leadership, and influence that have shaped the game over time.

The Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH) is pleased to welcome the Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté for a roundtable marking the publication of the ninth issue of Football(s). History, Culture, Economy, Society. The discussion will focus on the issue's special feature, "Thanks, Boss!", edited by Olivier Chovaux and François Da Rocha Carneiro.

Beyond its playful title, "Thanks, Boss!" examines the role of club and federation presidents, as well as the various forms of leadership embodied by those on the pitch and on the sidelines. Part mythic figure—in Roland Barthes' sense of the term—part patron, part manager, the football "boss" reveals both the sport's masculine culture and its economic dimension.

True to the spirit of Football(s), this event invites researchers and the public to engage in a multidisciplinary discussion—drawing in particular on history and economics—on football as a political, economic, social, and cultural phenomenon.

https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/billets-merci-patron-1994541256590 Register

About the speakers

Paul Dietschy is editor-in-chief of the journal Football(s) and a lecturer in contemporary history at the Lucien Febvre Centre, Marie and Louis Pasteur University. A specialist in football, he has published seminal works on the subject from a historical perspective, and regularly contributes to the national media, speaks at events and publishes articles in international newspapers.

Luc Arrondel, an economist and research director at the CNRS, is an associate member of the Paris School of Economics – École d’économie de Paris, and a member of the editorial board of the journal Football(s). A specialist in the economics of football, he has published numerous articles on the economics of the sport in both academic and popular journals and monographs, and is a regular contributor to the national media. He is also the author of several reference works.

Olivier Chovaux is a professor of contemporary history at the University of Artois and a representative on the Professional Football League. A specialist in the history of football and refereeing, he is a frequent contributor to the national media and is regularly sought after for comment, whilst also publishing his research.

François Carneiro da Rocha holds a PhD in History, is an associate researcher (University of Artois), a teacher of History and Geography (Lycée Jean-Moulin, Roubaix) and vice-president of the APHG (Association of History and Geography Teachers).

About the journal Football(s)

Bringing together a team of specialists from a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences (economics, ethnology, geography, history, literature, and sociology), the journal explores football in its various forms through thematic issues that draw on these different perspectives. Particular attention is given to sources, memory, heritage, representations, and the material culture of the many forms of football.

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