Soccer, Science, and Socialism in the German Democratic Republic, 1950s-1960s

Today, science has become indispensable in professional (association) football. As applying science in football promises a greater sporting success, football training is based on scientific knowledge. Hence, the use of science in football is taken for granted and seems to be commonplace. However, scientific knowledge was hardly employed in football until the early 1950s. In fact, its use needed legitimacy. By taking the German Democratic Republic (GDR) as an example, this study traces the legitimization of science in football in the 1950s and 1960s. The results suggest that the future promise of science as well as the Soviet Union and Soviet football played a substantial role in the scientification of GDR football.