In German, the word “schaden” means harm, and the word “freude” means joy, while schadenfreude means malicious happiness felt in response to bad events or changes that happen to someone else. Since there is no English word that can fully describe this particular emotion in sports, researchers continue to use the term schadenfreude (Taraklar et al., 2009:635). The concept of Schadenfreude in sports psychology is defined as the attitude of being happy at the expense of another; a person’s joy at the expense of another living being, especially humans. In some cases, most people can experience a sense of inner satisfaction when they learn about the negative events in sports experienced by other people or the misfortunes in athletics they encounter. Although such a feeling is generally not expressed openly by societies due to basic moral values, being happy with the negativities in competitive sports experienced by other individuals is a common experience (Sawada and Hayama, 2012:322).
In the control of sports, in individual or team sports, success or failure creates a feeling of resentment, hatred, and jealousy in the fans of the opposing team against success, and in case of failure, it consists of joy, happiness, and comfort. Sports psychology and fan behavior are deeply influenced by these dynamics.
Sports is one of the important areas where the competitive environment in athletics and emotional intensity are high. In these conditions, the difficulties experienced by individuals and teams and the success they achieve are not only dependent on performance, and psychological factors in sports also have an important place in these situations. In this context, the concept of Schadenfreude in sports management, a term of German origin, in short, the happiness felt from the negativity in sports competitions experienced by others, can have a significant impact in the fields of sports management strategies and sports psychology research.
The concept of Schadenfreude in athletic rivalries is closely related to the competitive spirit inherent in sports. It can occur when athletes and fans watch their opponents go through difficulties and think that they have gained an advantage due to their failures in sports events. For example, when an important player in a football team is injured, a basketball player plays badly, or a boxer performs badly, a reflection of Schadenfreude in fan reactions is seen in terms of the opponents and the fans who follow (Hornsey and Jetten, 2004). In this context, it should be noted that Schadenfreude in sports ethics also harms the moral, ethical, and mutual respect values of sports. Fair play in sports, or the concept of fair play, has an important place among the important basic values of sports. The concept of Schadenfreude in sports culture can harm this understanding because experiencing a feeling of happiness due to the failures of athletes brings us an approach that does not respect the opponents and the integrity of the sport. In order to achieve positive developments in sports, it is important to be able to cope with Schadenfreude in sports fandom and especially to minimize the effects of this feeling. Protecting the spirit and values of sports, making competition healthier, and focusing on your own successes instead of focusing on the failures in sports rivalries are seen as part of this process (Mahony and Howard, 1998). In addition, there are some positive aspects of this concept. Seeing the negativities in sports competitions experienced by their opponents and learning from their own failures can positively affect them to become better athletes through sports psychology. In general, if the feeling of Schadenfreude in sports dynamics is managed well, is in line with ethical values, and can preserve the positive and constructive aspects of sports, it can play an important role in the world of sports management.
As a result, the concept of Schadenfreude in sports behavior is defined as the feeling of being able to enjoy the negativities in sports events or failures in athletic performance that other individuals encounter and can be seen in different forms in sports life. Especially in recent years, the increase in the feeling of resentment and hatred in sports has been seen as management, athletes, and fans giving more importance to the failures of opposing teams rather than their own success. In general, the spread of the concept of Schadenfreude among sports fans stands out as an issue that needs to be managed carefully in terms of the brand image in sports organizations and fan relations in sports marketing. Understanding the effects of the concept of Schadenfreude in sports management practices will contribute to the organization of healthy and effective sports organizations. In this context, it is recommended that researchers and sports managers examine the concept of Schadenfreude in sports research in more depth and shape their application strategies accordingly.
REFERENCES
Elkırmış, Ö. (2024). The Effect of Schadenfreude (Enjoyment of the President’s Sadness) in Sports Management: A Conceptual Review. International Journal of Social and Humanities Sciences Research, 11(111), 1677-1682. https://zenodo.org/records/13864023