Futebol
Fabulous history of Brazilian football and an examination of Brazil through it’s relationship with football.
Everyone knows about Brazil’s national team and the skillful game they personify, but I’ve never known much about the history of football in Brazil – even though I’ve always wondered how they got to be so good.
This book is a fascinating introduction to the way football became the Brazilian obsession and so tightly bound up with national identity and pride.
By looking not only at their World Cup teams and players (fascinating chapter about Garrincha by the way), but at club football, grassroots football, the Brazilian ‘mystique’ and how politics and religion all tie in together to create potent mix in this giant country.
It was mind blowing to realize that the most supported club in Brazil, Flamengo, has a support somewhere in the region of five times the population of Scotland.
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about Brazil or Brazilian football I would highly recommend this book.