Will Brazilian clubs finally have their Premier League moment?

In an era when football is seen as a marketable good more than anything else, the governing bodies of Brazilian football appear to have no concern for the quality of their product. A swollen fixture list sees clubs play year-round with minimal breaks, affecting players’ fitness and performance. Current league leaders Palmeiras, for example, have played 104 times since Brazilian football returned from a brief Covid-19 stoppage in July of last year.

The problems precede the pandemic, however. Elevated ticket prices led to poor attendances when fans were allowed in stadiums, and a mix of overplaying and financial constraints have left Brazil’s pitches in dire quality.

Underpinning all of these issues is the extreme indebtedness of Brazil’s football clubs, which are run as members’ associations, by which presidents are elected for two-year terms. Seeking short-term results on the pitch, administrators often spend beyond their means — aware that once out of office, they will not be held accountable for their decisions.

Pundits credit failings of the Brazilian national team — the Seleção has not won the World Cup for 21 years — to the frailty of its domestic league. 

Meanwhile, Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is bogged down in scandal. With three of its presidents in the last ten years given life bans from football after corruption charges, its current chair, Rogério Caboclo, was hit with a suspension amid sexual harassment allegations.

The CBF organizes all national football competitions in Brazil, but the country’s clubs...