O futebol na forma mercadoria: espacialidade e desigualdade em campo

Abstract

The sport with the greatest global reach and passion of Brazilians incorporates capitalist precepts from the moment it starts from fun and amateurism to drive the consumer and spectacle industry, which generates profits. In this sense, the research had the general objective of understanding the football phenomenon as a commodity (re)produced and expanded by capital from the perspective of a spatialization that reflects regional differences, emphasizing the reality of Sergipe. Furthermore, it sought to contextualize and historicize football practice as a commodity in time and space at different scales; debate the political nature of institutions, conglomerates and agents that move the world of football; characterize the structural and economic reality of the main football clubs, including those in the state of Sergipe; and finally, investigate issues involving the mobility, interpersonal and professional relationships of football players from Sergipe. The hypothesis behind this study was that football, as a social practice with strong historical and cultural representation, crosses the entertainment environment and deepens capitalist prices to the extent that it becomes merchandise and a highly advantageous business, reflecting a regional spatialization linked to the economic condition that has a direct effect on the clubs' financial power and socioeconomic conditions of the players. Emphasis was placed on the dynamics of the football universe, considering the interrelationships between all its aspects. To this end, data collection from institutional bodies, interviews (with athletes, managers and store owners), discussions and visits to the main teams from Sergipe were considered. The results indicated the direct influence of the regional economic aspect on the way football is reproduced in the territory In the context of Sergipe, it was possible to identify its peripheral condition in relation to Brazil and even the Northeast. Local clubs have structural and financial problems, which directly affect their current representative condition. The player, a key player in the process, faces an empty calendar, resulting in professionals being temporarily employed, even though many of them are the economic pillar of the family. However, the months without work tend to represent uncertainty, informality and the search for financial survival until the following year, recharging the hope of a new contract. This reality is antagonistic to the prospect of success, covered by the figure of the hero or idol, often created and fueled by the media to emphasize successful careers.