Ricardo Lobato, a Brazilian sociologist and economist, put forward a thesis that makes more than one person uncomfortable: the jogo bonito that made Brazilian football world-famous is fading away, and the reason would not be merely tactical.
Speaking with Modo Fontevecchia, on Net TV and Radio Perfil (AM 1190), he explained that 14 of the 26 players on the national team are evangelical and that many now follow prosperity theology. According to Lobato, this religious transformation has also changed the way they play: “they are much more technical than malleable”, he said, and warned that “the political meaning of the game is beginning to be lost”.
An interpretation that blends faith, culture, and national identity in a subject that until yesterday seemed purely sporting. Do you think religion can change the way football is played? ⚽🇧🇷