Futebol e identidade regional: o torcer para o “time de fora” no Nordeste brasileiro

Abstract

Football, since its advent in the midst of the accelerated urban-industrial rhythm and insertion in the networks and flows of English imperialism, presents itself as an object capable of fostering different identity feelings. Since then, this sport, in a unique way, has captured large volumes of lovers around the globe, in such a way that the practice of football is directly interconnected with the fans. Cheering results in belonging, therefore, through football, the individual loyally approaches his “heart club”. However, football is also presented to the individual as an object of projection of desires for success, prestige and recognition. In view of the above, there is a propensity for human beings who enjoy football to support a certain club that has more status and recognition, that is, more successful teams that over the years have won more notable triumphs, precisely with the aim of satisfying this victorious yearning through football. In view of this, countless people from the northeast region choose to support Flamengo, Corinthians, Vasco, among others - being pejoratively called "mixed supporters" by other supporters in their state who do not agree with this support for teams from abroad - showing that It is clear that teams from the southeast and south of Brazil present themselves to northeastern fans as capable of satisfying them with the highest levels of recognition in the field of football, to the detriment of teams from their region, due to the multiple national and great achievements international titles that they obtained throughout their histories. However, in the midst of the correlation between national integration and the confirmation of football as a national sport throughout the 20th century, it is observed that clubs from the south and, mainly, from the southeast are those that are most positioned in situations of greater prestige, capable of reaching such higher statuses, due to the economic, social, political and cultural conditions in which they were historically inserted, which introduced the bases for the consolidation of such clubs. Added to this is the fact that the aforementioned clubs are located in regions that have a larger scale of the means of communication that take to other regions of the country information about the football practiced by them through the written press, radio, television and the internet.