1
* Co espondence o: Be na do Bo ges Bua que de Hollanda. Fundação Ge ulio Va gas (CPDOC/FGV). A enida Paulis a, n. 1471, 1* piso, Fundação Ge úlio Va gas
(FGV), Cen o de Pesquisa e Documen ação em His ó ia Con empo ânea do B asil (CPDOC). Bela Vis a - São Paulo, SP, B asil, CEP – [email p o ec ed] –
h p://o cid.o g/0000-0001-7781-4684
How o ci e: Bua que de Hollanda, Be na do Bo ges (2020). In he land o « oo ball-a »: oo ball books, na ional iden i y and he building o imagined communi ies in
mode n B azil. Papeles del CEIC, ol. 2020/1, papel 220, 1-18. (h p://dx.doi.o g/10.1387/pceic.20502).
Recei ed: Janua y, 2019; Final e sion: No embe , 2019.
ISSN 1695-6494 / © 2020 UPV/EHU
This a icle is dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he
C ea i e Commons A ibu ion 4.0 In e na ional License
Papeles del CEIC, 2020/1
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.1387/pceic.20502
ISSN 1695-6494
Papel 220
in h e l a n d o « o o b a l l -a »:
o o b a l l b o o k s , n a i o n a l i d e n i y
a n d h e building o imagined c o m m u n i i e s in m o d e n b a z i l
En la ie a del « ú bol a e»:
Lib os sob e el ú bol b asileño, la iden idad nacional
y la cons ucción de comunidades imaginadas en el B asil mode no
Be na do Bo ges Bua que de Hollanda*
Fundação Ge ulio Va gas (CPDOC/FGV)
Keywo ds
Foo ball
Na ional iden i y
Imagina y
Essay
B azilian
in ellec uals
ABS RAC : This a icle aims o show how he social his o y o oo ball in B azil can be used
o e lec on na ionhood. The ex is based in an analysis o essay gende , bo h om o eign
and B azilian au ho s, as well as se e al books on B azilian his o y and iden i y h ough he
s udy o oo ball. Al hough he essay gen e has been p i ileged by many in ellec uals who
sough a o alizing unde s anding o he coun y, his e y ype o w i ing has been mobi-
lized o in e p e ing social ep esen a ions a ound he p o essional p ac ice o oo ball. This
ex a gues ha he iden i y syn hesis anchised by he idea —o a is ic and/o cul u alis
o de — o a uni a y «coun y o oo ball» ends up eliding social and economic di e ences in
he cons uc ion o mode n B azil as an «imagined communi y».
Palab as cla e
Fú bol
Iden idad
nacional
Imagina io
Ensayo
In elec uales
b asileños
esumen: El p esen e a ículo iene como obje i o mos a la mane a en que la his o ia so-
cial del ú bol en B asil puede se i pa a e lexiona sob e la «b asilidad». El ex o plan ea
un análisis con base en el géne o ensayís ico, an o de au o es ex anje os como b asileños,
así como de una lec u a de una se ie de lib os en B asil dedicados a la his o ia y iden idad
ace ca de los es udios del ú bol. Si el géne o ensayís ico ha sido p i ilegiado po muchos in-
elec uales, con is as a una comp ensión o alizan e del país, es e mismo ipo de esc i u a
ha sido mo ilizado pa a una in e p e ación de las ep esen aciones sociales espec o a la
p ác ica p o esional del ú bol. El a gumen o del ex o sos iene que la sín esis de iden idad
a o ecida po la idea —de o den a ís ica o cul u alis a— de un uni a io «país del ú bol»
e mina po eludi di e encias sociales y económicas en la cons ucción del B asil mode no
como una «comunidad imaginada».
Be na do Bo ges Bua que de Hollanda
2 Papeles del CEIC, 2020/1, 1-18
1. IN RODuC ION
In he pas ew yea s, in he con ex o he announcemen o he 2014 FIFA Wo ld Cup in
he coun y, he memo y o B azilian oo ball has become a ield o g owing in e es . We
ha e wi nessed spo s jou nalis s dedica ing en i e books o he biog aphy o g ea play-
e s o he pas . Na ional idols and his o ic cha ac e s o a ious e as such as Cha les Mülle ,
A hu F ieden eich, Pelé, Leônidas da Sil a and Ga incha a e some o he mos no o ious
examples, as analyzed by B azilian esea che s as Lei e Lopes (2009), Helal (2001), Mills (2005),
Ribei o (2007), Al onsi (2013) among o he s.
In ins i u ional e ms, spo s memo y has become an objec o g owing a en ion, as we may
no ice in he ecen and success ul c ea ion o he Foo ball Museum, based in he Pacae-
mbu S adium in São Paulo, in 2008. In his o ical pe spec i e, i can be s essed he pionee ing
ole o conse a ion unde aken by he Museum o Image and Sound (MIS) in Rio de Janei o,
which compiled a se ies o in e iews wi h playe s ha began in 1967 and was ex ended un-
il he 1990s. In he las decades, dozens o in e iews we e conduc ed wi h g ea s a s, ei he
e i ed o a he p ime o hei ca ee s. An exempla y case would be he one o Ma cos Ca -
nei o de Mendonça, he goalkeepe o Fluminense Foo ball Club du ing i s ama eu pe iod,
in he i s decades o he wen ie h cen u y, who was in e iewed a he end o he 1960s.
This ini ia i e o MIS was ma e ialized in he o m o a book, Fu ebol é a e (Foo ball is a ), o -
ganized by jou nalis Má io de Mo aes in which h ee in e iews wi h g ea s a s o he B azil-
ian na ional eam a e in eg ally ansc ibed: Domingos da Guia, Pelé and Zizinho.
In his con ex , he goal o his a icle is o in oduce non-B azilian audiences o how oo ball
has been hough in B azil. Th ough he wo k o w i e s and in ellec uals i sheds ligh on es-
say p oduc ion on oo ball, de eloped h oughou he 20 h cen u y as he spo ook oo and
became popula in he coun y. The sea ch o he ma ices o he essay allows us o iden i y
a lineage o in ellec uals, o whom wo o he mos emblema ic ep esen a i es a e Gilbe o
F ey e in he la e 1930s and Robe o DaMa a in he ea ly 1980s. Despi e dis inc epis emologi-
cal p inciples and deba able heo e ical p emises1, F ey e’s (2001) p oposi ions and DaMa a’s
conjec u es (1979), iewed wi hin hei espec i e pe iods, a e use ul o e lec ing on oo ball
in he con ex o B azilian u ban popula cul u e. As will be shown below, his s a emen can
be ex ended o au ho s linked o he academic adi ion o he Uni e si y o São Paulo, such
as Décio de Almeida P ado (1997), Flá io Aguia (2003), Nuno Ramos (2007), Hilá io F anco J .
(2007), José Miguel Wisnik (2008) and Bo is Faus o (2009, 2010), among o he s. These au ho s
sha e an in e es in hei essayis ic app oach o analyzing B azilian oo ball, cha ac e ized by
non-submission o s anda dized w i ing pa e ns ein o ced in g adua e p og ams.
I is sugges ed ha in he las 80 yea s he essay has become an a ac i e na a i e gen e o
many B azilian hinke s, whose con ibu ions dese e a en ion o hei unde s anding and
acknowledgmen o oo ball as a legi ima e subjec o e lec ion on popula cul u al exp es-
sions. In gene al, essay w i ing, p i ileged by a ce ain in ellec ual adi ion linked o he uni-
e si y, has e lec ed on oo ball ou side academic scien i ic p oduc ion sensu s ic o. Thus,
we p opose ha essay w i ing, a common gen e in B azilian social hough be ween he
1 F ey e was no an academic s ic o sensu, his o ma ion da es back o he 1920’, when An h opology and So-
ciology we e no ins i u ionalized in B azil. On he o he hand, DaMa a was esponsible o he in oduc ion o
Social An h opoly as a ield a ea in he pos -g adua ion p og ams in B azil o he 1970’.
In he land o « oo ball-a »: oo ball books, na ional iden i y and he building o imagined communi ies in mode n B azil
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.1387/pceic.20502 3
1930s and 1960s, con inues p oducing in e p e a ions o B azil h ough explana ions o he
phenomenon o oo ball. These in e p e e s, in u n, should no be iewed me ely as p e-sci-
en i ic hinke s in he ield o spo s s udies. One o he in e p e a i e singula i ies o he so-
cial essay is o include he so-called B azilian s yle o playing oo ball, emphasizing wide pic-
u es and gene alizing syn heses.
Wi hou a emp ing o c i ically compa e hesis and essay w i ing, his pape seeks o e isi
he wo ks o au ho s who w o e abou B azilian oo ball om he i s decades o 20 h cen-
u y o he ea ly 21s cen u y. The ins i u ionaliza ion o social science as a discipline in B a-
zil in he 1940s ensu ed he scien i ic sup emacy o he hesis, gi en i s p ecision in me hod,
heo y, analysis, sou ce and demons a ion, among o he scien i ic ounda ions. A he same
ime, i ejec ed essay w i ing as he p oduc ion o 19 h and 20 h cen u y au ho s. None he-
less, he pe sis ence o he social essay in con empo a y imes shows he po en ial appeal o
his o m o na a ing and in e p e ing aspec s o B azilian social li e.
This pape is di ided in o i e main pa s. The i s one is ela ed o English in luence on he
B azilian spo s du ing he second hal o he nine een h cen u y. The second pa con ex-
ualizes he poli ical p ocess o ins i u ionalizing oo ball p ac ices in B azil, which is done
h ough a sys em o leagues, championships and monopolis ic public-p i a e en i ies, o -
ganiza ion con olle s and p o essional spo managemen . The pu pose is o gi e an in o-
duc o y his o ical backd op o help he eade unde s and he popula i y o oo ball in B a-
zil, speci ically o e he cou se o he wen ie h cen u y. The hi d pa is dedica ed o p esen
he s a e o a o academic oo ball s udies, in pa allel wi h he p oduc ion o essays abou
he subjec . Then, in he ollowing pa , we seek o add ess he impo ance o he adi ion o
he social essay in B azil, due o he w i ings o Gilbe o F ey e, and he c i icism i ecei ed
du ing he ins i u ionaliza ion o social science in B azil and in he wake o he c ea ion and
de elopmen o uni e si ies be ween he 1930s and 1970s in he coun y. A he same ime,
i shows ha since ha pe iod, ecognized and uni e si y- ained w i e s we e al eady in e -
es ed in he subjec o oo ball, p oducing e lec ions in he essay o ma . This leads o con-
empo a y examples, which a es o he gen e’s opicali y and i ali y. Finally, he las pa
ocuses on a majo wo k o he B azilian con empo a y scene. I is a book w i en by he
p o esso and c i ic José Miguel Wisnik (Uni e sidade de São Paulo), in luenced mainly by
some a is ic, aes he ic and cul u alis ideas o Gilbe o F ey e. The pu pose o his sec ion
is o p esen an ou line o he main ideas ha unde pin his he y ome o o e ou hund ed
pages, which o e s an ex ao dina y in e p e i e syn hesis o B azilian popula imagina ion
and social inequali ies, e isi ing, in he ligh o oo ball, he canonical ideas o mode nism,
«F ey ism» and he classics o social hough in he ea ly he 21s cen u y.
The publica ion is o in e es inso a as i eme ges when pa o B azilian academics belie es
i no longe makes any sense o in es iga e he cen ali y o B azilian iden i y o conside he
amous exp ession « he na ion in oo ball boo s» as an explana o y me apho o de ining
me onymy o B azil.
2. HE ENGLISH SPOR S MA RIx IN BRAzILIAN HIS ORy
B azilian eli es had always been pleased o emula e o eign habi s and as es, mainly hose
coming om Eu ope, because o i s colonial pas . In he cul u al ield, F ance has adi ionally
Be na do Bo ges Bua que de Hollanda
4 Papeles del CEIC, 2020/1, 1-18
had a wide in luence, whe he o e language, ea ing habi s, o ashion, expo ing o B azil i s
codes and ules o a so-called ci ilized and mode n social beha iou . A like o hings F ench
had been cul i a ed since colonial imes, and i was in ensi ied h oughou he nine een h
cen u y. The F ench in luence was no any less in ense in poli ical ma e s; he Napoleonic in-
asions o he Ibe ian Peninsula p o oundly and di ec ly a ec ed B azil’s decla a ion o inde-
pendence om Po ugal in 1822. F ance hen con inued on as an ins i u ional model o he
new B azilian epublic.
Howe e , i was mo e speci ically in he a s and li e a u e ha he F ench ma ked he im-
pe ial pe iod in B azil. Since D. João VI in i ed he A is ic Mission, which a i ed in Rio de Ja-
nei o in 1816, pain e s like Deb e became amous in he coun y o hei landscapes and
augh hei echniques locally on opical soil. A he same ime, young eli e B azilians wi h
a is ic and li e a y endencies we e sen o Eu ope o lea n abou li e a y mo emen s, such
as Roman icism, Realism and Na u alism, so ha hese could be in oduced in he coun y.
Th oughou he nine een h cen u y, he F ench in luence o e B azil would mould i s mon-
a chy as well as he epublic ha ollowed by way o cul u al and ci ilizing alues. The pe iod
be ween he end o he nine een h cen u y and he beginning o he wen ie h cen u y is
be e known by i s F ench name, he Belle-Époque (1890-1914).
F ance’s cen al ole as a model o he B azilian eli e does no mean, howe e , ha hey we e
he sole model. The I alian ope a, o example, in luenced hea e building in he capi al o
impe ial B azil, Rio de Janei o, du ing he second hal o he nine een h cen u y. Acco ding o
B azilian sociologis Gilbe o F ey e (2001), despi e ha ing been ma ked by a g owing accep -
ance o Eu opean models ha o some ex en denied Po uguese oo s o he coun y, he
o me colonize s ill had emendous in luence o e he coun y in less no ed aspec s, such
as a chi ec u e, ea ing habi s and olklo e.
England also dese es men ion, especially because o Po ugal’s economic and inancial de-
pendency on ha coun y, which came o domina e all A lan ic ade. The English p esence
in B azil inc eased a e he Indus ial Re olu ion, in he la e eigh een h cen u y. In gene al
e ms, England le i s ma k on B azilian his o y in comme ce, which da es back o ea ly nine-
een h cen u y when he coun y b oke he Po uguese monopoly on comme ce in po s and
ha bou s along he coun y’s coas . F om hen on, England impo ed mo e and mo e B azil-
ian aw ma e ials, such as co on, o i s own ac o ies, which we e sold back o he young
coun y as indus ialized p oduc s. The ini ially weak consump ion o B i ish p oduc s was
blamed on sla e y, seen as an obs acle o de eloping a consuming domes ic labou o ce in
he nine een h cen u y. P essu e agains sla e wo k g ew in he 1850s wi h new laws g adu-
ally in oduced o s imula e a ee wo k o ce. The non-sla e o ce was ini ially ec ui ed om
new Eu opean immig an s, mos o which we e sen o colonize a mlands in he Sou h. The
English domina ed B azil’s economy by ounding banks, inc easing comme ce, and building
ail oads, among o he in es men s.
A less men ioned English legacy in B azil is i s spo s cul u e. Besides sp eading indus ial
p oduc s h oughou he coun y, he English we e esponsible o in oducing leisu e p ac-
ices mo e sui able o he discipline and ules ha u ban indus ial li e demanded. Acco d-
ing o No be Elias (1986) and Pie e Bou dieu (1990), mode n spo s ep esen a d ama ic
change in ela ion o old adi ional amusemen s ha we e s ill connec ed o medie al e-
ligious i es and pa ies. In a mode n poli ical, ju idical and economic scena io, oo ball and
o he spo s we e in en ed in he English public schools du ing he nine een h cen u y as a
In he land o « oo ball-a »: oo ball books, na ional iden i y and he building o imagined communi ies in mode n B azil
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.1387/pceic.20502 5
way o edi ec ene gies, p epa e bodies and educa e he child en o he B i ish a is oc acy
and bou geoisie. These new concep s speedily made hei way o B azil.
A he end o nine een h cen u y, uni e si y leagues and municipal eam championships ap-
idly sp ead oo ball ac oss G ea B i ain and h oughou Eu ope. This spo s modali y had
ou en y poin s in o B azil: (1) young B azilian s uden s in England who b ough he game
back home wi h hem; (2) English ac o ies in B azil augh oo ball o na i e wo ke s as a
means o gi ing hem a leisu e ac i i y; (3) English and Ge man schools agg ega ed physical
ac i i ies as a new pedagogical app oach; and (4) immig an clubs and associa ions sough o
main ain hei own adi ions, which included spo s.
Foo ball is said o ha e a i ed in B azil in 1894, when Cha les Mulle , son o an Englishman,
came back o São Paulo a e 10 yea s o s udying in Sou hamp on, England. Once in B azil
again, he ca ied a lea he ball and a ulebook in his sui case. In 1902, ano he s uden , Os-
ca Cox, came back om Swi ze land and helped ounding he Fluminense Foo ball Club in
Rio de Janei o. The e we e se e al immig an associa ions in Rio, bu none o hem was ex-
clusi ely dedica ed o oo ball. Mos o he impo an clubs we e dedica ed o owing, which
was he mos popula o he B i ish spo s in B azil.
3. GILBER O FREyRE: FROM HE IN RODuC ION OF BRI ISH SPOR S
O HE INVEN ION OF «FOO BALL-AR »
The o igins and p oli e a ion o spo s in B azil a he end o he nine een h cen u y, as
s essed abo e, ha e been well documen ed in li e a u e. Mode n spo a i ed on B azil’s
sho es in he pos -sla e y e a (1888) inspi ed by he model om he Uni ed S a es o Ame -
ica; howe e , i was no ex ensi ely adop ed by he ede alis epublican egime (1889). Foo -
ball, as i is ue o o he spo s, eme ged du ing a pe iod o in ense social and poli ical ans-
o ma ion. These spo s a ec ed he physiognomy o he majo B azilian ci ies, which we e
subsequen ly ma ked by a discou se o egene a ion, mode niza ion and sani iza ion o he
u ban en i onmen .
The wa es o immig an s, encou aged as pa o s a e policy wi h a iew o eplace sla e la-
bo and p omo e he whi ening o he popula ion, b ough he habi s and cus oms o hese
immig a ion lows wi h hem. Li le by li le, many o hese adi ions and no el ies s a ed o
g ow and dissemina e wi hin hese social clubs, which we e la gely c ea ed o mee he de-
mand o cohesion be ween membe s o he B i ish, Ge man and Spanish colonies in B azil.
Foo ball was ini ially one o a numbe club-based leisu e and en e ainmen ac i i ies. This
spo s modali y was a p ac ice o young o eigne s, bu also s uden s, child en o B azilian
eli es, who we e in u n inspi ed by hese ac i i ies, seen as an impo ed mode nism om Eu-
ope. I a and F ench cul u e occupied he mos p ominen posi ion in e ms o imi a ion by
he locals, he mode n spo s ounded in England and popula ized h oughou con inen al
Eu ope clubs became a benchma k o ac ions o B azilian young people as a leisu e.
The local scale o hese games ook on new dimension as he 20 h cen u y p og essed. Mu-
nicipal leagues we e c ea ed a he beginning o he 1900s, and he i s championships dis-
pu ed by clubs om he same own we e played ou . This began o happen in São Paulo
Be na do Bo ges Bua que de Hollanda
6 Papeles del CEIC, 2020/1, 1-18
om 1904 onwa ds, while in Rio de Janei o compe i ion be ween ama eu clubs was ins i-
u ed wo yea s la e , in 1906. Despi e p o essionalism only being adop ed in he 1930s, e-
sea che Leona do A onso de Mi anda Pe ei a (2001), in a comp ehensi e su ey o social
his o y, iden i ied he popula iza ion p ocess o oo ball, a he han ho se acing and owing,
as he mos popula spo owa ds he end o he 1910s. This was la gely due o he beginning
o in e na ional ou namen s, in pa icula he 1916 Sou h Ame ican Championship, o gan-
ized by B azil, A gen ina, Chile and U uguay. The ansposi ion o na ional eelings —shi s,
an hems and lags— owa ds oo ball gal anized B azil’s young popula ion, which was ue in
he big ci ies and he mo e u al ci ies in he coun yside, whe e e he p ess, he main means
o communica ion a he ime, we e able o each. The B azilian oo ball eam’s success ul
campaign in he 1919 Sou h Ame ican Championship in Rio de Janei o ga e ise o na ional
eupho ia, and inc easingly enabled he spo o o e come i s social eli is o igins.
B azilianis Robe Le ine (2001) s a es he idea o expanding in e es in oo ball as a p ac ice
o enjoymen , bo h in e ms o ci il socie y and he go e nmen . This schola ecognized he
ci cums ances o his p o essionalism con o ma ion, in he mids o an en i onmen condu-
ci e o na ional assimila ion in he 1930s, which was, un il hen, he exp ession o Eu opean
mode ni y:
«The spo sp ead h ough he poo e classes when he English ac o y owne s
ielded eams composed o employees, bu i only became a na ional ins i u ion
in 1933, when i was decla ed p o essional unde he managemen o he B azilian
Spo s Con ede a ion (Con ede ação B asilei a de Despo os - CBD). F om one day
o he nex , he eli e eams compe ed o con ac a hle es om he wo king class,
hus c ea ing an ins i u ion ha combined he passions o he ich and poo . The
B azilian go e nmen ook ad an age o his mo emen by app op ia ing he na-
ionalis symbol o he B azilian eam’s ic o y a he 1932 Sou h Ame ican Cup and
allowed he in ol emen o black playe s (a policy ha ini ially aced esis ance
om he CBD) in B azilian eams in he ea ly Wo ld Cups o he 1930s.» (Ibídem: 73)
The compe i ions among di e en coun ies om he Sou h Ame ican con inen ga e ise o
he i s pa io ic imagina ion ha ma ied he me apho o he B azilian na ion o i s oo -
ball eam, along wi h he o ganiza ion o poli ical en i ies such as he CBD, esponsible o
s uc u ing his spo ing ield, in a Bou dieusian sense (1990), con o med o by a g oup o ac-
o s, o ganize s and consume s. The appeal o na ionalism was subsequen ly g own wi h he
c ea ion, by FIFA, o he Wo ld Cup in 1930. This ac ion empowe ed he me apho ical con-
di ion ha links spo and na ionalism. Cons uc ing na ional iden i y and p ide in a pe iph-
e al coun y such as B azil u ns he in es men made in na ional my hology and symbology
h ough oo ball unde s andable.
The 1930s bo e wi ness o he in en ion o he pá ia de chu ei as (homeland o oo ball
boo s). This idea g ew in powe a each ou -yea ly edi ion o he Wo ld Cup o ganized by
FIFA, as i did in Sou h Ame ica and Eu ope. The de elopmen o he media, a co ne s one o
na ionalis he o ic, as heo ized by Benedic Ande son (2008), b ough B azil’s ies wi h oo -
ball e en close a he end o ha decade. The mass media, pa icula ly adio, would be a key
media o o ca alyzing he popula ion’s emo ional sen imen s. The media ollowed he B a-
zilian na ional eam du ing he 1938 Wo ld Cup, when B azil was unde he dic a o ial egime
o he Es ado No o (New S a e), led by Ge úlio Va gas, one o he a chi ec s o cen aliza ion
poli ics and na ionalis sen imen ha was p e alen in he coun y.
In he land o « oo ball-a »: oo ball books, na ional iden i y and he building o imagined communi ies in mode n B azil
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.1387/pceic.20502 7
The hi d ins allmen o he Wo ld Cup saw he B azilian na ional eam a el o F ance,
which was commen a ed on li e by B azilian adio b oadcas e s, such as Gagliano Ne o, and
would be e e ed as a he oic achie emen by B azilian a hle es o e seas. The inc edible e-
cep ion gi en by he F ench p ess in ega ds o he pe o mance o he B azilian oo ball play-
e s made he local epo e s and en husias s belie e ha B azil had pe o med e y well du -
ing ha Wo ld Cup. Black playe Leônidas da Sil a, op sco e a ha compe i ion, was one o
he mos acclaimed, becoming he symbol and embodimen o a new e a o B azilian oo -
ball, capable o o e coming i s eli is and seg ega ionis backg ound.
Foo ball wen on o become he cen e o an iden i y ha e e sed he coun y’s p oblems,
one example being miscegena ion, in o a se o i ues. One o he mos p ominen elemen s
wo h highligh ing in oo ball in B azil was i s po ous condi ion, wi h he abili y o syn hesize
and exp ess he con adic ions o he coun y’s social shape. This po osi y d ew in e es om
sociologis Gilbe o F ey e (2001), whose mos impo an s udy was called Casa-G ande &
Senzala (The Mas e s and he Sla es, 1933), a ein e p e a ion o he his o y o Po uguese
coloniza ion, in which adap abili y is exal ed, as a i ue o social democ acy in B azilian ace
ela ions. The au ho hen w o e ex s in which oo ball was ea ma ked as one o he con-
empo a y success ec o s o miscegena ion in B azil, p oducing playe s such as Leonidas,
cha ac e ized as c ea i e, spon aneous and as onishing.
The 1930s saw he sel - ep esen a ion o B azilian cul u e solidi y (Fio in, 2009), wi h he p in-
ciples o in eg a ion and cul u e and pa icipa ion being seen as de ining cha ac e is ics o
mode n B azil. Thus, despi e he poo ly de eloped poli ical-economic si ua ion in B azil be-
ing damaging aspec s ega ding i s image, he coun y was in e na ionally ad e ized in a
posi i e way. Thanks o i s a ac i e oo ball, his pe o mance anscended hei spo ing
condi ion and i was con e ed in o a is ic and cul u al exp ession. The e o e, acco ding o
F ey ean he o ic (2001), he in luence o music, capoei a and eligious sync e ism was ab-
so bed, among o he selec ed elemen s, o ep esen he au hen ici y o a na ion ha was
belie ed o be in e class and in e acial.
4. BRAzILIAN ACADEMIC S uDIES ON FOO BALL
The con as be ween he popula i y o he spo and he bela ed ecogni ion o i s analy i-
cal wo h by B azilian social scien is s and his o ians is s iking. Such an ini ial amewo k,
howe e , has been changing apidly in ecen yea s, o e coming p ejudices agains his «mi-
no subjec ». Thus, i can be said ha oo ball in B azil is now e y much a legi ima e objec
o analysis. I he pionee ing s udies in he 1980s by he an h opologis Simoni Lahud Guedes
(1977) and by he his o ian José Sebas ião Wi e (1990), among o he s, a oused academic
in e es in oo ball wi h hei in e p e i e insigh s, i was in he 1990s ha he spo uly es-
ablished i sel as a ield o sys ema ic esea ch. S udies on spo , especially oo ball, ha e e-
sul ed in disse a ions and heses ela ed o a ious disciplines anging om physical educa-
ion o psychology, media communica ion o an h opology and his o y. Beyond books and
a icles by indi idual au ho s, esea ch g oups ha e been es ablished in uni e si ies and o he
esea ch ins i u es in many B azilian ci ies —in Po o Aleg e, Cu i iba, Belo Ho izon e, Rio de
Janei o, São Paulo and Reci e— and collabo a i e wo k has led o he c ea ion o specialised
jou nals.
Be na do Bo ges Bua que de Hollanda
8 Papeles del CEIC, 2020/1, 1-18
In o de o amilia ise eade s wi h oo ball s udies in B azil, we will b ie ly iden i y i s main
s eng hs and majo con empo a y ends. Domina ing he agenda o mos esea che s is he
ela ionship be ween spo and mode ni y, o ha o spo and na ion. The objec i e is o ex-
plain how, his o ically and sociologically, a leisu e ma ke in B azil was s uc u ed and wha
ole mode n spo played wi hin i . In pa icula , esea che s ha e sough o unde s and he
way in which oo ball has become one o he main ec o s o condensing he idea o ‘B azilian-
ness’. Among his subjec ’s p e e ed sub- hemes we ind: esea ch on he spo by s a e ap-
pa a us, he s a egic and indispensable ole o he media in he popula isa ion o spo s, and
deba es among in ellec uals and jou nalis s abou he signi icance o he p ac ice o oo ball.
The in oduc ion in he la e nine een h and ea ly wen ie h cen u y o a ious spo s as eli e
pas imes, and he popula isa ion o some —mos no ably oo ball— ha e been ex ensi ely
explo ed by B azilian schola s. I da es back wi h c ucial his o ical expe iences since he
coun y’s ans o med om a mona chy o a epublic in 1889 (such as he na ionalism and
au ho i a ianism o he 1930s and he ci il-mili a y dic a o ship be ween 1964 and 1985). In
his sense, oo ball’s his o ical signi icance o ms ano he majo s and o esea ch ac i i y.
Ano he heme o g ea p ominence amongs esea che s —one which is included in his a -
icle— is ha o e hnic iden i y. Rela ing o he ea ly decades o oo ball in B azil, immig an
g oups (such as I alians and Po uguese in he ea ly wen ie h cen u y) and hei social ne -
wo ks (including hei ec ea ional and spo clubs) ha e been examined. Racial in eg a ion is
also a heme o li ely discussion, d i en by he pa icipa ion in oo ball o people o A ican-
descen which apidly inc eased as he spo ans o med in he 1920s and 1930s om an
ama eu o a p o essional pu sui . Discussions on B azilian ‘ ace’ and ‘cul u e’ a e guided by
he w i ings o he jou nalis Ma io Rod igues Filho assembled in he o m o he book O ne-
g o no u ebol b asilei o (2003), published o iginally in 1947. This wo k is o huge impo ance,
no leas i includes a o ewo d by he sociologis Gilbe o F ey e, who is well-known o his
con o e sial s udies on he his o ical o igins o ace in B azilian socie y and his iews o a-
cial elas ici y. I F ey e (2001) is epu ed o ha e o e come he concep o ace in a ou o a
cul u alis app oach lea ned du ing his yea s o s udy in he Uni ed S a es wi h he an h opol-
ogis F anz Boas, his essay was accused o being an apology o he ‘ acial democ acy’ in B azil
by he academics o he Sao Paulo uni e si ies, such as USP, in he 1950s and 1960s.
The speci ic s o ies o ce ain p o essional oo ball clubs om Rio and São Paulo, such as
Bangu, Co in hians and Palmei as, as well as he an h opological and sociological analysis o
he cons uc ion o «belonging» o a club o o ganised suppo e s, a e g owing and con e g-
ing hemes o esea ch. The his o y o ce ain spo ing ins i u ions, he powe s uc u es ha
go e n oo ball and how spo o e laps wi h he poli ical his o y o he coun y a e opics o
inc easing explo a ion. Also among he eme ging a eas o in e es a e he in e sec ions be-
ween oo ball, a chi ec u e and u ban his o y, demons a ing he i ali y and scale o new
isions and new in es iga ions.
The in e sec ion o he wo lds o socie y and oo ball is a key ield o in ellec ual p oduc ion
on spo in B azil. His o ians and social scien is s ha e emphasised he close linkage o he
genesis and de elopmen o spo s wi h na ionalism, u banisa ion and indus ialisa ion. Pa -
icula a en ion has been gi en o he p ocesses o he o ma ion o he wo king class since
he nine een h cen u y, as well as hei connec ions wi h he adop ion o mode n B i ish
spo s in he coun y. I e lec s a signi ican pa o his impo an and g owing a ea o B azil-
ian academic p oduc ion.
In he land o « oo ball-a »: oo ball books, na ional iden i y and he building o imagined communi ies in mode n B azil
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.1387/pceic.20502 9
5. AN Ou LINE OF ESSAy PRODuC ION ON FOO BALL IN BRAzIL
In he las 65 yea s, he epis emological p ojec o he School o Sociology o São Paulo, led
by Flo es an Fe nandes, has become de ini ely es ablished in he B azilian uni e si y en i on-
men . In he 1970s, i s consolida ion was enhanced wi h he in oduc ion o g adua e p o-
g ams in São Paulo and Rio de Janei o, p og essi ely expanded o he o he s a e capi als and
hei espec i e ede al uni e si ies. Wi hin his se ing o s anda diza ion and le eling, he
in e p e a ions o Gilbe o F ey e (2001), as men ioned in he p e ious sec ion, we e c i icized
and he essay was deemed an i egula gen e. I became accesso y, seconda y o elega ed o
newspape s, a a ime when he w i en p ess s ill published mo e complex ex s, add essing
con o e sies and deba es in i s cul u al and li e a y supplemen s. Howe e , despi e he loss
o s a us due o a supposed e olu iona y line ha condemned he gen e o os acism when
compa ed o he supe io i y, igo and uni e sali y o me hodical esea ch, he essay did no
o ally disappea .
I can be a i med ha he essay con inued o coexis in academic li e and in public o ums
o in ellec ual deba e, e en in he places whe e he homo academicus pa e n was mos p o-
nounced, as is he case o São Paulo and he School o Philosophy, Languages and Human
Sciences (FFLCH/USP), unde he in luence mainly o Flo es an Fe nandes. Con as ing wi h
scien i ic pape s and academic heses, he essay d ew a en ion wi h i s expe imen alism in
wo ks published in he 1960s and 1970s. Also impo an is he appea ance o highly in luen-
ial seminal essays, such as hose by An ônio Candido —«Dialé ica da Maland agem» (Dia-
lec ic o Rogue y) in 1970— and Robe o Schwa z en i led and «As ideias o a de luga » (Mis-
placed Ideas) published in 1972.Some examples o au ho s and essays wo hy o men ion a e
lis ed below, in a diach onic ye no exhaus i e app oach. A en ion is gi en, albei no exclu-
si ely, o p o esso s and esea che s linked o USP, one o he mains ays o esea ch canon in
social science, as poin ed ou abo e, o illus a e how he uni e si y en i onmen emained
exposed o essay w i ing amid he inc easing ins i u ionaliza ion and specializa ion o e-
sea ch.
As ea ly as he 1950s, he Ge man immig an Ana ol Rosen eld (2007), a u u e d ama p o es-
so a ECA/USP, w o e a s udy on he impo ance o oo ball in B azil. Running o a li le o e
hi y pages, he ex in oduced o he Ge man-speaking public, h ough he Hans J ah buch,
his o ical, economic and psychosocial aspec s o he p ac ice o oo ball in B azil in he mid-
20 h cen u y. Mo e han jus an in oduc ion o o eign eade s, he essay dialogues wi h he
wo k o he jou nalis Ma io Filho, au ho o he amous book o 1947 O neg o no u ebol b a-
silei o (Blacks in B azilian Foo ball). In his dialogue, Rosen eld (2007) c i icizes Filho’s as-
sump ion ha he economic ascension o blacks h ough oo ball implied social ecogni-
ion. The au ho o Ge man o igin sough o e u e he idea o a me apho ical o e coming o
acism in B azilian socie y, as assumed by he cul u alis end inspi ed by F ey e’s ideas, o
which Má io Filho belonged.
A he end o he nex decade, s ill unde he isible in luence o Gilbe o F ey e’s essayis-
ic p oduc ion —he w o e se e al essays on oo ball be ween he 1930s and 1970s, empha-
sizing he me amo phoses unde gone by he spo o B i ish o igin, s aigh and angula ,
when played by B azilians, li he and cu ilinea — ano he insigh ul essay on he subjec is
published. This is he wo k o P o esso Pessoa de Mo ais, T adição e ans o mação do B asil
(T adi ion and T ans o ma ion o B azil) published in 1968. The book, which was ne e eis-
Be na do Bo ges Bua que de Hollanda
16 Papeles del CEIC, 2020/1, 1-18
7. O CONCLuDE
«Applying he p ocedu es o a c i icism o oo ball was one o he pa hs his book ollowed
o y o cap u e he singula i ies wi h which i was in es ed in B azil.» (Wisnik, 2008: 345) This
sen ence, aken om José Miguel Wisnik’s book, can be ex ended o he pu pose o he o he
au ho s quo ed in his pape . The objec i e o ca ying ou a bibliog aphic e iew o B azil-
ian oo ball, om F ey e o con empo a y essayis s, wi h he aim o in oducing i o a o eign
audience, os e ed he sea ch o new clues and he iden i ica ion o al e na i e ways o un-
de s anding i in 21s cen u y.
Despi e he scan a en ion gi en o he subjec , g ea in ellec uals ha e eso ed o essay
w i ing o e ime o e lec on he phenomenon o oo ball. Due o he plas ic and polymo -
phic cha ac e o he essay, sho ex s al e na e wi h wide- anging na a i es, sugges ing
in e p e a i e clues o deciphe mode n B azil h ough oo ball. In his sense, he s a egy
adop ed he e was o selec a lis o in ellec uals who, linked o academia, did no ollow he
s anda d o ma p esc ibed by g adua e p og ams.
Among such essayis s Gilbe o F ey e was one o he mos ou s anding in e p e e s, gi en
he in luence o his bes known wo k, Casa-G ande & senzala (The Mas e s and he Sla es)
published in 1933. The cha ac e is ics o F ey e’s long essay in bo h o m and con en ha e
made i a pa adigm o be su passed by mode n social science as idealized and es ablished in
he second hal o he 20 h cen u y, especially in he uni e si ies o São Paulo. The c i icism
o F ey e’s ideas was also a denuncia ion o his wo k as an ideological iewpoin , elusi e and
ambi alen in i s inde e minacy be ween science and a . The epis emological demands o
science made he essay an un eliable gen e o mee he demands o scien i ici y and uni e -
sali y o academia.
Such a p osc ip ion ex ended o he ield o spo s s udies, wi h he a emp o consolida e
he a ea h ough he adop ion o he g adua e hesis o ma and he unde lying c i icism o
F ey e’s hi he o adop ed essayis na a i e. Howe e , as I ha e ied o show he e, he social
essay was ne e comple ely abandoned in academia, no e en in i s USP co e. F om o eign-
e s such as Ana ol Rosen eld and Vilém Flusse o local au ho s such as Pessoa de Mo ais, Dé-
cio de Almeida P ado, Flá io Aguia , An ônio Risé io and Nuno Ramos, he social essay con-
inued o con ibu e acu e insigh s wi h genuine in e p e a ions alluding o he B azilian s yle
o playing oo ball and he s ylis ic each o oo ball p ac ice. F om his lis o au ho s, José
Miguel Wisnik’s book Veneno emédio was chosen as he mos pa adigma ic o he i ues o
he essay gen e, no only because i is a wo k o ema kable e udi ion and magni ude, mo e
han ou hund ed pages long, bu also because o he analy ical quali y o i s o iginal in e -
p e a ions o he phenomenon o B azilian oo ball.
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