(Belo Horizonte)

On matchdays Brenno already has to get up at 6 o’clock in the morning. Still somnolent, he is putting on his service clothing as well as his name tag and starts walking to the stadium. His job title is called »Match Venue Supervisor«. His place of work is the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte. Brenno – who is actually called differently – does not want to name his employer. It is a multinational corporation, which is one of the main sponsors of the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Brenno is 23 years old and is currently studying chemical engineering at the university of Belo Horizonte, which is located not far from the stadium. When he first found out in 2007 that the World Cup would be taking place in Brazil, he knew that he wanted to be a part of it. »I wanted to play my part in turning this event into a big success for our nation and also for all the visitors.« He fulfilled his desire. However, this desire did not turn out the way he imagined it to be. Like many other Brazilians, the opinion towards the World Cup has shifted over the course of the last weeks and months. »I would have never thought that I would be working for one of the main sponsors one day,« he says.

What does this bulky notion of Match Venue Manager imply? »My employer is hosting a lot of people during the World Cup. They can be managers, relatives or friends of high-ranking officials or winners of lotteries. They live in hotels in Rio or Sao Paulo and are flown into the hosting city of the next match. My job is to pick them up from the airport and escort them to their VIP boxes or assigned seats. I am responsible for the guests 24/7 (hours per day), hence I am basically a maid-of-all-work.«

The Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte before a match day (Photo: private)

Two weeks ago Brenno almost quit his job. Unlike the games before, he had been assigned to a VIP box, in which guests from many sponsors as well as holders of very expensive VIP tickets resided. »Several guests treated us (employees) as people from a lower class,« he says. One man for instance yelled at Brenno requesting him to get out of the way. After all Brenno had not paid for his ticket as opposed to the man.

Only a few minutes later the VIP box supervisor severely rebuked Brenno and a colleague after they had shared a glass of water. They should stop it immediately, because guests could see it. »If I am not even allowed as a human being to drink something in the presence of other people, do I then still count as equal (human being)?«, he asks himself. He describes the atmosphere in the VIP boxes as disagreeable. He had often noticed that men residing in the VIP boxes harassed young female colleagues. According to him it did not always stop with insinuating remarks.

All of these incidents reaffirmed Brenno’s initial doubts, which he had casted when he started his job. »The people I am currently working for are exactly those people my friends and I are normally despising. They are either sponsors that are jointly responsible for this elitist event »FIFA World Cup« or they are the privileged Brazilians and international visitors who finally ‘consume’ the World Cup.« Afterwards he talks about a video (see below), which went viral among his friends. It shows sequences of a party in a VIP box, which perfectly represents the guests he has been referring to. This makes him angry.

Brenno, however, continues working there. It is the money, which aborts his initial impulse to quit. Normally he works as a private tutor besides his studies, which helps him to secure a basic income. After all, a more lucrative job as the current one he has never had in his life before. »I would have to work two and a half years to earn the money I am currently earning in a month«, he says. »I will be graduating from university next year and I would like to go abroad afterwards. I have to think about my future.«

Brenno has found a way to deal with the internal antagonism by now. It is a combination of whitewashing and repression. »It is true that through my current Job I am getting to know a complete different perspective and I am seeing things that I would have not seen otherwise. I cannot complain about my employer, as it is one of the better ones. Finally I am part of an event, which concerns the entire globe and during my breaks I am even able to watch the games.«

In moments like the ones from last week, in which not even the whitewashing seems to work, he completely switches off. »If I would constantly think about it, I would not be able to do my work properly. I promised my employer always to do the best I can and I stick with it,« he says. I am aware that this might not be the right strategy and I have some friends who are criticizing me for it, but it has worked out for me.

The end of Brenno’s World Cup adventure is already close. Only one last time, today, he has to try to keep up his façade. Like on all other matchdays, this time for the highly expected semifinal Brazil against Germany, he will be responsible to escort the corporate guests to the airport, take off his service clothing and walk back to his student hall. »Always when I get home, I have the feeling that I have just entered a different world.« He is convinced that it is this world he wants to belong to in the future.

Translation: Jasper Schlump

(São Paulo)

His big smiles distracts from the rest of his aging appearance. The face is marked by furrows, he does not understand anything without his hearing aid and if it were not for the two crutches he could not place one foot in front of the other. But this is exactly what he achieves on every single day. He gets up at five in the morning in order to start working punctually, by half past six at the latest.

Now, during the World Cup, Lourival’s business is booming. He is a street vendor. His vendor’s tray, a type of gym bag which he is carrying around his neck, features a selection of exactly three products: bubble gums, a Brazil cover for the external mirrors of a car and Brazilian flags which can be attached to a car as well. His regular place is on the side walk. When the traffic flows, he talks to passers-by. Once the cars stop, however, he slides through them in an inimitable way and tries to sell his goods.

Roughly 50 Reais (equals 16 Euros) is his daily turnover, within in twelve hours of work. »During the World Cup I earn around twenty percent more than on a usual day«, he says. »But that does not compensate what the World Cup took away from me and the other people of Brazil. The health care in our country is disastrous. But instead of building more hospitals, the elites put up stadiums. Lourival suffers from cancer for several years now. Since more than six months he is waiting for the next doctor’s appointment, which he urgently needs.

The only distractions from his disease are his work and the countless daily conversations. He likes to talk about football, too. »I think that Brazil is going to be World Champion but I don’t hope so« he says. »Because if Brazil wins nothing is going to change in this country. Germany should rather win the title. They have a real team, eleven good players. Not just only one like Portugal with Ronaldo, Argentina with Messi or even Brazil with Neymar.«

Lourival has spent his entire life in São Paulo, he has never been to Rio de Janeiro. If he will be able to fulfil his biggest dream, to walk along the Copacabana for once, seems more than questionable. In any case, he would not forget one day at the beginning of the World Cup: »One man bought all of my Brazilian flags. I then asked him what he wanted to do with these. He responded that he would burn them, all of them.«

Translation: Heinrich Zozmann

(São Paulo)

Sakamoto, 37, is a co-founder and the current president of Repórter Brasil, a scientific and journalistic think tank based in São Paulo. The son of a Japanese father and a Brazilian mother also works as a blogger and as a professor of journalism and is considered to be among the intellectual thought leaders of a new, more democratic Brazil.

ecke: Mr. Sakamoto, the world cup has started and already on the opening day there have been protests in several cities, similar to those during the Confederations Cup last year. Is history repeating itself?

Leonardo Sakamoto: No, I don’t think so, at least not the extent of the previous year. But I expected this. In the end, it is about football. And this time it is the World Cup, not a preparation tournament. The people of Brazil love football, including many of those who set the tone in the protests. That is why demonstrations may just as well be interrupted for an important game.

ecke: Slogans like »Nao vai ter Copa« (»There will be no World Cup«) suggest otherwise.

Sakamoto: That is the huge misunderstanding. Many still do not comprehend that the protests are directed against the priorities of the government and not against football itself. We Brazilians would prefer to make a distinction between football and politics. But it is simply not possible: football is politics.

ecke: Why is it difficult for many people to understand what the protests are about in particular?

Sakamoto: That is, among other reasons, connected to the confusingly complex structure of stakeholder groups among the government’s opponents. One example: Most of the Brazilians in the stadium are rich people. The stadiums were built for them. And rich people dislike Dilma (Rousseff) and her Labour Party. For that reason, they went out onto the streets during last summer as well. The anger of the demonstrators who suffered from police violence in the district Tatuapé a few days ago is naturally directed against the government, too. And at the same time, simply put, the rich Brazilians in the stadium are against the poor Brazilians on the streets. The destitute population claims more rights and the rich do not want to grant them these rights. Both went out onto the streets last year, for the same but simultaneously different reasons.

ecke: So some of last year’s protesters ceased to participate?

Sakamoto: Exactly. Namely the upper class and parts of the middle class, too. The latter decide from an economical point of view: If one is able to buy electronic things, if the children can go to proper schools, if one can go on a vacation once per year, then one will not go out onto the streets during the WC. But despite the reduced extent of protests, here is a reason for hope: it is the young people who are the driving force. They are not satisfied with the current democracy and they are looking for a new way. They want a more direct democracy and less state power, less corruption.

ecke: Is Brazil’s performance in the World Cup going to influence this year’s election?

Sakamoto: I don’t think so. This cannot be viewed in black-and-white, based on the motto: If Brazil wins the World Cup, Dilma is right and all costs are justified, and if not, all is bad. Apart from that, the more recent past does not show a positive correlation between World Cup title and reelection. On the contrary. In 1994 the government was voted out of office after the victory, whereas the new one stayed in office after the elimination in 1998. In 2002, we became World Champion again but there was a change of government. For the first time a president from the Labour Party, Lula, was elected. In the years 2006 and 2010, after an early elimination, the Labour Party stayed in power nonetheless. In my opinion, the 2014 elections will be won by the party that gets a grip on the huge subject of security.

ecke: Do you see additional positive sides of the WC besides the entertainment value of football?

Sakamoto: Yes and I see these for instance in São Paulo. Here there are many poor people, not only Brazilians, but from other, poorer South American countries as well and many wealthy people who are here for business and who cannot be seen because they move by car or helicopter. In contrast to Rio de Janeiro there normally are very few tourists. Through the WC these structures are somewhat broken up. The poorer classes earn on the tourists, the businessmen can occasionally be seen on the streets. The middle class from around Avenida Paulista or in Vila Madalena is slowly coming out of its shell. The World Cup is a good opportunity for them to interact with the tourists, for example, and to have a good time. And once more: the WC has already helped us to make immense societal progress with regard to one issue: since the redemocratization in 1985 this is the first time that things are changing. It will be more difficult for politicians, the media and companies to hide something after the World Cup. People are creating networks now, are finding new ways to communicate. They demand more. They raise their expectations. And that is a good thing.

ecke: What is your personal opinion about the WC in Brazil?

Sakamoto: I have mixed feelings. The newly built airports and roads are a benefit for the country in the long run. Some of the stadiums are definitely not. In addition, the Fifa has introduced so many restrictions I cannot understand. We have to take action against that, we have to change it. In contrast to Russia and Qatar, however, Brazil is a democratic country that does not simply let the Fifa overrun itself.

During the conversation Sakamoto constantly leers at his laptop, scans the information and then continues to speak. Already in the early morning it is obvious that there is a strong competition for his attention from various sides. Sakamoto is a man in demand. Tens of thousands of people are reading his daily blog, he has roughly 35,000 followers on twitter.

ecke: What are you and your colleagues exactly doing at Repórter Brasil?

Sakamoto: Repórter Brasil is an NGO, which has set itself the mission to identify and criticize the human rights violations in Brazil. We want to change the way social, economic and political leaders are currently thinking. We are defending Human Rights by reporting about modern slavery, human trafficking, child labour and the discrimination against indigenous minorities. Most recently, we also have increasingly dealt with the topic of environment protection.

ecke: How is Reporter Brasil achieving these ambitious goals?

Sakamoto: We are constantly collecting, analyzing and spreading information. You could divide our organization in four branches: The first consists of an educational program, in which we provide information material and organize workshops about topics such as Human Rights or environment protection to local leaders and teachers in over 120 cities. The second branch is a news agency, which is associated with a production company specialized in more comprehensive documentaries. Further our third branch consists of a research institute, which compiles and publicizes various studies in collaboration with scientists from universities, journalists and other NGOs. Last but not least, we have an advisory role, as we are represented in many local bodies and maintain valuable relationships to e.g. the ministry of education. We managed to become Brazil’s most reliable source in our areas of expertise. Journalists from all different news agencies and media corporations refer to us on a regular basis. Our resource is the information, whether it is of academic or journalistic nature.

ecke: Which concrete projects have you running in the course of the World Cup?

Sakamoto: Inexcusable things happened in some cities during the construction of the stadiums. We have been reporting about these misdoings until today. By the time we were approaching the opening match, the people in charge tried to accelerate the construction of the stadium by all means. Many employees have severely suffered from these working conditions, as the human body is not a machine. Moreover, there was an incident of modern slavery in Sao Paulo. The building company OAS employed around 100 people to build Terminal 3 at the international airport Guarulhos who were forced to work under degrading conditions. The ministry of labour only took action and ‘freed’ the employees after we had published an article about this scandal. Recently we have published a study, which is concerned with the organization of mega sports events such as the World Cup or the Olympic games in 2016 and deals with the risks involved for the respective societies.

Leonardo Sakamoto’s phone does not stop ringing. He is not always answering it, but if he does, he does it with closed eyes while using expressive gestures. »Leo, what is going on, answer!«, someone writes on his messanger.

ecke: You are working with young and ambitious journalists who want to initiate change like the Midia Ninjas. Simultaneously, however, you also cooperate with the traditional and well-established media corporations. How is this compatible?

Sakamoto: As mentioned before, we respect the work of all different journalistic streams. Obviously we maintain a rather leftist approach, but also the more conservative journalists use our information. We are not holding back our information to anyone, as we want to ensure complete transparency. The pictures, too, everyone can use. My founding partners and I, we know how the media sector works. We were educated together with the colleagues from the more traditional media corporations in the school of journalism. We disagree most of the time, but we are still friends.

ecke: How do you see the future of journalism in Brazil?

Sakamoto: The journalism is currently stranding at a crossroad. Similarly to other countries, the traditional media corporations are being challenge by the population. Many people without a professional background in journalism also want to analyze now and make sense of the complexity of things. Journalists who fail to adapt to this new era will disappear.

ecke: You were one of the founders of Repórter Brasil in 2001. What was your motivation to get involved?

Sakamoto (grins) Of course we wanted to change the world. Many journalists think they are the Clark Kents and that they are able to change the world with their own hands. This, however, is not working. We at Repórter Brasil want to change the world by providing the true superheroes with information. They are all out there, fighting against the system and social inequality. But to do this effectively, they need information, which they get from us. This group includes politicians, social leaders and corporations. They are initiating the change, which Brazil is in desperate need of.

ecke: One last question: You are working at Repórter Brasil full-time, are teaching journalism at the university and are publishing a new blog entry everyday. When are you exactly sleeping?

Sakamoto: Don’t worry, I do sleep – sometimes at least.

Translation: Heinrich Zozmann and Jasper Schlump

(São Paulo)

Apenas algumas centenas de quilômetros da Arena Corinthians, o lugar onde vai soar o primeiro apito da Copa do mundo essa quinta-feira, é feita uma curta missão de reconhecimento antes de a pelada começar.O campo de terra batida tem algumas moitas de grama, um muro colorido de um lado e uma cerca do outro que marcam seus limites, e uma solitária bandeira do Brasil observa os eventos do alto de uma das chaminés dos arranha-céus vizinhos. São dez horas da manhã, três meninos, Vinicius, Rai e Pedro, chegam ao campo e imediatamente começam a chutar a bola para dentro das redes imaginárias.

É uma bola especial. Andrew Aris, um homem alto da Nova Zelândia do tipo »viageiro« com cabelo comprido e uma discreta barbicha trouxe-a com ele. Ele trabalha para a ONG »Spirit of Football«, cujos criadores viajaram pelo mundo com uma bola de futebol de cada antes das últimas Copas do Mundo e tiveram-nas assinada por todos que cruzaram seus caminhos. A bola desse ano passou por diversos países europeus e do continente americano antes de retornar as suas origens um pouco antes da Copa do Mundo.

Além disso, algumas das grandes estrelas do futebol como Dani Alves, Mats Hummels e o jogador Uruguaio que fez o gol ganhador do último Mundial no Brasil em 1950, Alcides Ghiggia, também a assinaram. »A bola é como a Tocha Olímpica«, disse Andrew, »É um símbolo para o processo de união do mundo«. »Uma bola, um mundo« é o lema da organização. Ao longo dessa jornada, se organizam jogos de futebol e oficinas, nos quais se propõe especialmente aos jovens reflexões sobre fairplay e espírito de equipe.

Não leva muito tempo até que a bola, com marcas de sua jornada de seis meses e milhares de assinaturas, vire objetivo de uma partida rápida entre Andrew, seus dois conhecidos e os três adolescentes brasileiros. Após a partida, sentado e um pouco exausto em um lado do campo, Vinicius, de 16 anos, conta sua história enquanto uma garrafa de água passa pelo grupo.

Ele é do distrito de Itaquera e pertence a uma das famílias cujas casas tiveram que abrir espaço para o novo estádio. O garoto, portanto, teria todas as razões para amaldiçoar a Copa do Mundo, mas ele simplesmente não consegue »Eu amo futebol e jogo desde muito pequeno. Não posso imaginar nada maior que a Copa do Mundo na frente da minha porta«. Como se quisesse dar uma prova disso, mais tarde Vinicius mostra várias camisas de futebol e aponta para os horários das partidas da Copa do Mundo na parede do seu novo quarto. Talvez sua tranquilidade também tenha a ver com o fato de que a nova casa que foi concedida a sua família está localizada no mesmo distrito onde eles viviam antes – uma feliz coincidência, já que nem todas as famílias que foram realocadas devido à pressão da FIFA tiveram a mesma sorte.

Andrew em contrapartida estudou em Erfurt e foi funcionário da FIFA durante a Copa do Mundo de 2006. Hoje, contudo, ele não pensa bem a respeito de seu ex-empregador. »Quanto mais escuto sobre o envolvimento da FIFA no Brasil, mais irritado eu fico«, diz ele. »A FIFA chega ao país, faz uma fortuna em algumas semanas e sai imediatamente depois. O que será deixados são problemas. Eles só fingem ser algo e iniciam truques de marketing social, mas na verdade não se envolvem em nenhuma abordagem sustentável. Ao mesmo tempo, poderiam ser feitos grandes projetos para os estádios, como por exemplo, transformá-los em centro culturais.«

As pessoas que Andrew está criticando e que são responsáveis pelo deslocamento da família de Vinicius estão hoje na mesma cidade, apenas alguns quilômetros dali. A poeira começou quando um comboio de motocicletas chegou em frente ao Hotel Grand Hyatt – localizado no distrito de Morumbi. O comboio escoltava um SUV preto com janelas escuras, exibindo o logotipo da FIFA e a placa »001”«. “A agenda do senhor Blatter é conhecida apenas por seu funcionário mais próximo”, diz a recepcionista.

Logo antes do começo do congresso da FIFA e da Copa do Mundo, a organização vem enfrentando uma pressão sem precedentes. A FIFA tem sido diariamente criticada a respeito dos Mundiais no Brasil e no Qatar, e também sérios desentendimentos internos surgiram. Nessa noite, entretanto, a organização pareceu não ter problemas pelos sinais negativos. É uma grande festa que consiste de muitos apertos de mão e largos sorrisos por todos os lados. As pessoas aproveitam seus tragos no bar do hotel enquanto uma mulher de mais ou menos 35 anos – calçando atraentes sapatos de salto e uma jaqueta de tecido leopardo – é discretamente escoltada até o elevador por um empregado do hotel. Mais tarde nessa noite, o secretário geral Jerome Valcke sabiamente passa pela multidão que se encontra na portaria do hotel – acompanhado por palmadinhas nas costas de agradecimento – com um sorriso vencedor. A FIFA chegou segura ao Brasil, e eles entram na Copa do Mundo em alta – mantendo assim o jargão do futebol.

A contradição no Brasil pode ser notada em apenas um dia. Um garoto de uma comunidade local ao redor do estádio foi deslocado, mas ainda mal pode esperar para que comece a Copa do Mundo. Um ex-funcionário da FIFA está agora tentando encontrar o verdadeiro espírito do futebol por meio de um projeto que promove mudança social através do futebol. E um campo de futebol esburacado fica apenas alguns quilômetros da portaria de mármore do hotel. Ambos os lugares acomodam o futebol – cada um de sua maneira.

Tradução: TANISE CERON

(São Paulo)

Just a few hundred meters straight-line distance away from Corinthians Arena, the place, where the World Cup’s starting whistle will go off this Thursday, a little reccy offers itself for a kick-about. Its steppe-like pitch is sprinkled with clumps of grass, a colourfully painted wall on the one and a fence on the other side constitute its boundaries, and a lonesome Brazilian flag observes the events from atop a chimney of one of the neighbouring skyscrapers. It is ten o’clock in the morning and three boys, Vinicius, Rai and Pedro storm the field and begin immediately to slam the ball into the non-existing goal nets.

It is a special ball. Andrew Aris, a tall guy from New Zealand of the type »globetrotter« with long hair and a discreet chin beard brought it with him. He works for the charity »Spirit of Football«, whose founding fathers travelled the globe with one football each already before the last World Cups and had it signed by everyone who came across their way. This year’s ball had passed several European countries and others on the entire American continent before it returned to its origin shortly before the World Cup.

Also some of the biggest stars in the enterprise like Dani Alves, Mats Hummels and the scorer of the Uruguayan victory goal during the last World Cup in Brazil in 1950, Alcides Ghiggia, added their signature. »The Ball is like the Olympic Torch«, says Andrew. »It is a symbol for the merging process of the world.« »One Ball, one World« is the organization’s motto. Alongside the Ball’s journey it holds games and workshops, in which especially the youth shall be enabled to appreciate the thoughts of fairplay and team spirit.

It does not take a long time until the Ball, which is marked by its six-month journey and thousands of signatures, finds itself the object of a rapid match between Andrew and its two acquaintances and the three Brazilian adolescents. After the match has ended, sitting quite exhausted on the side of the pitch, the 16-year old Vinicius tells his story while a water bottle makes its round.

He is from the district of Itaquera and belongs to one of the families whose homes had to make way for the new stadium. He, therefore, would have all reasons to curse the World Cup, but he is just not able to do so: »I love football and play the game since I was a little boy. I cannot imagine anything bigger than a World Cup right in front of my door step.« As if he wants to give proof of this, he later proudly shows off several football jerseys and points to the World Cup’s match schedule on the wall of his new room. Maybe his lack of anger also has got to do with the fact that the new home that his family was granted is being located in the same district where they had lived before  – a lucky coincidence not all families, who were re-settled due to FIFA’s pressure were able to enjoy.

Andrew on the other hand has studied in Erfurt and had been a FIFA employee during the 2006 World Cup. Today, however, he cannot get anything out of his former employer. »The more I learn about FIFA´s involvement in Brazil, the angrier I get«, he says. »FIFA arrives in a country, makes a fortune for a couple of weeks and leaves immediately after. What will be left are problems. They only pay lip services and initiate social marketing tricks, but do not engage in any sustainable approach. At the same time you could do great things with the stadiums e.g. transforming them into cultural centers.«

The people Andrew is criticizing and who are responsible for the displacement of the Vinicius family, are located today in the same city, just a few kilometers away. The dusk has begun when a convoy of motorcycles turns up in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel – located in the Morumbi district. The convoy is followed by a black SUV withy shadowed windows, which show the FIFA logo as well as the license plate »001«. »Mr. Blatter´s agenda is only known by his closest staff«– says the receptionist.

Right before the start of the FIFA congress and the World Cup, the organization has been facing unprecedented pressure. The FIFA has been daily criticized regarding the World Cups in Brazil and Qatar and also internally severe dissonances have emerged. On this particular night, however, the organization seemed to have been untroubled by the negative signs. It is one big party consisting of a lot of hand shaking and big smiles everywhere. People are enjoying their drinks at the Hotel bar while a women in her mid-thirties – wearing eye-catching high heels and a jacket with a leopard pattern – is directly and discreetly escorted to the elevator by an employee of the hotel. Later on the evening, General Secretary Jerome Valcke whizzes past the crowd still standing in the hotel lobby -accompanied by appreciative backslappings – with a winning smile. The FIFA has arrived in Brazil safely, and they coming into the World Cup on a high– to stick with the football jargon.

The controversy of Brazil can be felt in only one day. A boy from a local community around the stadium had to be displaced, but still can´t wait for the World Cup to begin. A former FIFA employee is now trying to find the true spirit of football through is project to promote social change through football. And the bumpy football pitch is only a few kilometres away from the marmoreal hotel lobby. Both places accommodate football – in their own peculiar way.

Translation: Jasper Schlump & Max Oehl

ecke: André, você teve um encontro com Sócrates quando criança. Como isso foi possível?

André: Eu tinha 10 ou 11 anos e acordei um dia de manhã para ir à escola. Minha mãe, que trabalhava como professora na escola onde eu estudava, me disse que um convidado especial chegaria na cidade para a festa da escola. Quando minha mãe me disse quem era, meu pai ficou surpreso. Meu pai é torcedor do Corinthians. Nos anos 80, quando Sócrates estava em seu grande momento, sua paixão pelo clube estava no auge. Sócrates era onipresente nas orações dos torcedores corinthianos dessa época. Meu pai sempre me falou com grande entusiasmo sobre a maneira como Sócrates jogava, seus passes de calcanhar e da seleção de 1982. Por isso estava muito emocionado de conhecer este jogador.

ecke:  Como foi o encontro com Sócrates?

André: Nesse dia Sócrates ficou com a gente um bom tempo. Primeiro nos contou algumas coisas sobre sua carreira no futebol. Não lembro muito dos detalhes, mas lembro que logo fomos para o campo de futebol. Alí, nos ensinou como cobrar uma falta com eficácia. Todos estávamos entusiasmados com sua presença e eu tive muita sorte em poder ficar ao lado de Sócrates por todo o tempo, inclusive no caminho para o campo de futebol, realizado em forma de desfile pela cidade. As pessoas saíram na rua para saudar Sócrates, ainda que sua carreira houvesse se encerrado há dez anos.

O encontro: André com Sócrates no campo de futebol (Foto: arquivo pessoal)

ecke: Que influência Sócrates teve na sua vida?

André: Me influênciou muito. Seu carisma com as pessoas foi imenso, e eu percebi isso mesmo sendo uma criança. Depois do encontro com ele eu fiquei ainda mais interessado em sua história. O futebol era só um de seus talentos. Seus ideiais políticos e sua carreira como médico eram as coisas mais importantes para ele. Inclusive, deixou de jogar a Copa do Mundo de 1978 para priorizar sua carreira. Nesse tempo de menino eu queria ser jogador de futebol como qualquer outra criança. Mas a história de Sócrates me ensinou que pessoas podem ser exemplo em qualquer profissão. Isso me fez pensar muito e mudei de opinião em relação ao que queria ser e passaei a dar mais importância aos estudos.

ecke: Que significado tiveram as atividades políticas de Sócrates para a sociedade brasileira?

André: Sócrates foi uma figura muito importante para nosso país. Na época da ditadura militar ele desenvolveu junto ao seus companheiros de equipe a base do que posteriormente viria a se chamar Democracia Corinthiana. Por seu conhecimento como futebolista e seu carisma, podia alcançar grande parte da população. Sócrates ajudou a politizar muitas pessoas. Eu o descreveria como um pioneiro do pensamento democrático dentro do futebol.

ecke: Sócrates, que faleceu em 2011, não poderá ver a Copa do Mundo de 2014. Logo depois que o Brasil foi o país escolhido como sede da copa, Sócrates fez alguns comentários sobre o assunto:

» Muitas pessoas vão enriquecer com a Copa do Mundo, exceto nosso país.«
Y:

» Já temos carnaval suficiente aqui. Por isso não nescessitamos de mais festa, por que a Copa do Mundo será um grande carnaval que durará 30 dias. Os brasileiros são, com certeza, muito bons quando se trata de festa. O país vai estar parado durante os 30 dias. O mês de julho será um mês de férias. Mas depois de tudo isso o que vai ficar no país? O que será feito no setor social?«

Em outra entrevista em 2009 Sócrates disse as seguintes palavras:

» A situação social neste país é simplesmente dramática. De alguma maneira teremos que tratar de mudar isso. Constantemente luto por ela, eu vejo isso como meu dever.«

As frases ditas no momento da euforia da escolha do Brasil para sediar a copa tiveram a influência do calor do momento, sendo que o discurso hoje seria um pouco mais morno? Veríamos Sócrates apoiar possíveis protestos nas ruas do Brasil durante a Copa do Mundo?

André: Te asseguro que sim. Sócrates não concordaria com a situação atual do país e com certeza ele não deixaria de criticar tudo o que está acontecendo. O pensamento crítico fazia parte da sua ideologia. Ele e seus ideais continuam em nossos pensamentos.

14 anos mais tarde: André e o repórter de ecke:sócrates

Tradução: LYDIA REINER e ANDRE SANTOS