The angry look, Dani Alves wants to put the dots on the i in a press conference. For the opening of the forty-sixth Copa América, Brazil has just won three to zero against Bolivia in São Paulo. A comfortable victory, but which leaves a bitter taste to the captain of the Seleção. “We didn’t have the feeling of playing at home at the Morumbi stadium. When we play at the Arena (in Salvador de Bahía, editor’s note), there is another energy.“In an atmosphere where the interests of the national team and those of the rivalry between teams like FC São Paulo, Corinthians and Santos, to name only the main clubs in the city, are mixed up, Alves fumes in the face of such fragmentation. for Alves, the major problem does not lie in this absence of support, but rather in the simple popular absence.
Philippe Coutinho (Brazil), during a friendly match against Honduras
Credit: Getty Images
CONMEBOL in the eye of the storm
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Asked about the subject, the Parisian right side was crystal clear. “I am of the people, I will always preach for the people, so that they are in the stadiums, explains Alves. But it is not our responsibility, we do not control the prices of places which are high.“A priori, therefore, it does not matter whether the Brazilian selection can play well or badly. For the opening of this Copa América, 47,260 people gathered in an enclosure capable of accommodating 66,795 spectators. Two-thirds full, the stadium paulista Today, it still has the highest attendance of the tournament, all matches combined, with tickets priced at an average of 120 euros for the opening match. From Europe, these prices seem to be in line with a football that is becoming more and more elitist in the stands. In South America, however, wallets can no longer follow the scale of prices set by CONMEBOL, the organizer of the tournament.
In fact, the average monthly salary of a Brazilian citizen in 2019 is calculated at 2,340 real by the Catho site, or about 539 euros. Pouring almost a quarter of your salary into a Copa América match between Brazil and Bolivia is simply becoming unthinkable in a society in the midst of an economic crisis, and that explains why the stadiums built for the 2014 World Cup are now deserted. In this, much lower attendances were observed in subsequent matches such as Paraguay-Qatar in the Maracanã of Rio de Janeiro, where only 19,000 people (including 4,000 invited children) attended the draw between the two teams ( 2-2) in a stadium that can accommodate… 74,000 people. Clearly, this edition of the Copa América is still very, very far from thrilling the stadiums.
Qatar celebrate their draw against Paraguay in the 2019 Copa America
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Domínguez: The situation is worrying
However, the South American football confederation seems to benefit from it, despite an average attendance of less than 30,000 spectators. The proof ? The latest information published following this famous opening match in São Paulo. With a sound and light show, dancers who were the protagonists of this opening ceremony and three Brazilian goals to launch the competition definitively, CONMEBOL achieved a total revenue of 22,476,630 real (about 5 million euros), achieving at the same time the best revenue ever made in the history of Brazilian football. Moral: if football is no longer accessible for the most popular classes in Brazil, it remains a great way to attract the more upscale classes to observe the stars of the canarinha closer.
The other reason for this exodus from the stands in Brazil a fortiori, is the inability of other South American countries to fill stadiums. If the Brazilians cannot buy a place for the Copa América while their economy is considered one of the most viable on a continental scale, how can Argentina, Venezuela or Peru get away with it? Resident of Porto Alegre, the writer Paulo César Texeira observes how the event unfolds from the Rio Grande do Sul region. “For Peru-Venezuela, we observed the presence of Peruvians. Beyond the fact of seeing the selection play in the Copa América, the Peruvians are happy with the return of Paolo Guerrero to the selection after his suspension for doping. Guerrero is also a player for Internacional, one of Porto Alegre’s two main clubs.“Encouraging signs but insufficient to fill up the stands, since only 13,370 spectators gathered in the Arena do Grêmio, whose capacity nevertheless shows 60,540 seats. A popular disaster to which the president of CONMEBOL Alejandro Domínguez wished react by judging the situation”worrying“, without changing its tune.
Roberto Firmino (Brazil) squeezed by the Panama defense
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Brazil and the notion of lost pleasure
In a cold way, the Paraguayan president established a statement worthy of the policy of the ostrich: “There are matches that get excellent revenue and others much less, unfortunately. So far, the balance sheet remains completely positive and I think it will improve as the competition progresses.” In other words, the president imagines that the intensity of the tournament will increase and that this should increase the presence at the stadium. Truly ? For the second match of Brazil organized in Salvador de Bahía, the crowd was indeed there with 42,587 spectators out of 48,435 possible. “For reasons related to quarrels with Rio where the Brazilian football federation has its headquarters, the public of São Paulo has a level of requirement always high compared to the Seleção, explain Paulo César Teixeira. This is so anchored in Brazilian memories that when the team wants to obtain good results, it seeks to evolve in the northeast of the country such as in Salvador, where the selection is received with warmth and enthusiasm.“No luck for Brazil, the good atmosphere gave way to whistles following the draw against Venezuela (0-0).
This is enough to stick CONMEBOL a little more in the quest to fill their pockets during this Copa América. If Brazil no longer wins, the local spectators may no longer want to move en masse as in the match in Salvador, out of simple spite. Behind the ephemeral presence of jerseys auriverdes In reality, there is a much deeper evil hidden within Brazilian football. “During the friendly match against Honduras (won 7-0 by Brazil on June 9, editor’s note), the Internacional stadium attracted a total of 16,521 spectators, details Paulo César Teixeira. In fact, this attendance is the worst in a match of the national team since 2001. However, I would not say that Brazil are losing their love for football. Beyond the economic question, the truth lies in the fact that the Brazilian spectator likes above all to support his club. The Brazilian will support the national team when the game produced is spectacular, beautiful to see. The latest failures in the World Cup have diminished interest in the selection. Here, Seleção supporters are seen more as fans of events rather than pure football. Whoever follows a team for its football is the fan at heart. And this is not the case with the national team.“Or how to hit the bullseye.
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