Commentaries From amateurism to professionalism: legislation changes transforming Brazilian football

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to present a situation that Brazil is coming to terms with the creation of football companies. The solution is to sell football clubs to investors that can solve any inherited financial crisis and provide the players the clubs need to improve the situation. As clubs are now managed by investors, board members, society and supporters have almost no information about how the clubs are being managed. The authors’ recommendation is that besides the need for a transformation in management, there is also an urgent need for professionalisation and government regulation of the process (Andon and Free, 2019).Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ comments are based on documents, laws and newspaper news.FindingsThe results are engaging with the clubs achieving results in the short term, supporting fans returning to stadiums and the possibility of more investors becoming shareholders of football clubs.Originality/valueThis study is the first academic exercise of meditation about the process of turning Brazilian football clubs into anonymous societies.

Exploring a Soccer Society: dreams, themes and the beautiful game

“…In the same way that arrangements for the administration of the game and governance choices at the local level may impact on the health and growth of the game, national architectures of control to facilitate soccer can also have significant effects. Reflecting on recent legal changes in Brazil, Gomes et al (2024) assert that movements from a more amateur approach to a more corporate, business approach, a change often criticised in other settings, has actually yielded significant benefits in the organisation of the game in the country. It is argued that prior to changes that allowed soccer clubs to be listed on the stock exchange, the management of the game (both financially and more generally), and clubs' abilities to retain the best players, were significantly deficient.…”