This is the first book to present a critical analysis of the concept of the European Model of Sport (EMS). The EMS concept is widely used by policymakers at the national and EU levels, and by some sports organisations, yet it has never been comprehensively defined in official documents.

This book asks whether the EMS is real or imagined, evaluates its significance in a rapidly evolving European context and for world sport more broadly, and compares it against other models of sport in different regions of the world. The first section of the book is a multi-disciplinary analysis of the EMS, putting the EMS in historical context and examining the concept from political, economic, socio-cultural and legal perspectives. The second section of this book looks at different models of sport within Europe, including Germany, the UK, Scandinavia and South-East Europe, and how they intersect with EU policy. The final section of this book looks at models of sport in North America, Latin America, China, Africa and the Arab World, highlighting key differences and similarities in order to illuminate our understanding of sport governance, policy and management around the world. Throughout, this book includes consideration of grassroots sport, going beyond traditional analyses that have focused primarily on professional sport.

In an era in which sport represents a dynamic arena for competition between corporations, NGOs, international organisations and nation-states, this book is an essential reference for anybody with an interest in sport policy, sport governance, sport management, sport law, EU policy and law, the history of European integration or the relationship between sport and wider society.