A confrontation between autocratic Arab leaders and militant, highly politicized, street battle-hardened soccer fans that has already contributed to the toppling of former Egyptian and Tunisian presidents Hosni Mubarak and Zine el Abedine Ben Ali builds on a political tradition inherent in the game since its introduction by the British. That tradition is rooted in the fact that politics was associated with the founding of the vast majority of soccer clubs in the region and underlies its foremost derbies, some of which rank among the world’s most violent. Nevertheless, perceptions of political differences in soccer dating back as far as the early 20th century to support of and opposition to the colonial administrators and long toppled monarchs live on until today even if they are no longer grounded in political reality or reflect a club’s fan demography. That is certainly true for two of the region’s most ferocious derbies: Cairo’s nationalist Al Ahly SC versus once royalist Al Zamalek SC and Tehran’s Persepolis versus Estighlal FC, the former team of the shahs. Perception and reality coincide far more, however, in those clubs in which Berber, Kurdish, and Palestinian and in some cases even Jewish-turned-Israeli identity politics were built into their founding. Then like now soccer serves rulers as a tool to ensure political support. Increasingly, however the pitch is a battlefield in autocratically governed countries for differing visions of the future even if it most immediately it is a struggle for control of the foremost contested public space and a training ground for the day anti-autocratic mass protests erupt. Taken together, the fan groups constitute a major social force. In Egypt, for example, they represent one of the largest civic groups in the country after the ruling Muslim Brotherhood. The power of the fans is highlighted by the fact that they have prevented the lifting of a suspension of professional soccer in Egypt for much of 2012. The suspension was imposed after 74 fans were killed in February 2012 in a politically loaded brawl in Port Said, the worst incident in Egyptian sporting history. Inspired by founders who often defined themselves as anarchists, the fans see their struggle as one for justice, dignity and freedom and against autocracy, corruption, abuse and repression.