Semiperiferia e indústria do futebol: um estudo de caso sobre as consequências do Acórdão Bosman no futebol brasileiro

Abstract

This research analyzes the impact of the Bosman decision on Brazilian soccer, investigating how this legal decision contributed to Brazil becoming the largest exporter of players in the world, occupying a semi-peripheral position in the International Division of Labor (IDL) of the football industry. Based on Immanuel Wallerstein's World System Theory, the study adopts the concept of the ILO to explain the hierarchical dynamics between the center, the semi-periphery and the periphery in the global system, highlighting how the semi-peripheral countries act as suppliers of resources - material or human - to sustain the development of the central economies. In the context of soccer, the transfer of players has become one of the main sources of income for Brazilian clubs, while the main European leagues, such as Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and League One, do not depend on this resource. The Bosman decision, by extending the freedom of movement of players in the European Economic Area and abolishing restrictions for players from EEC member countries, accelerated the integration of the European soccer market and intensified the flow of talent from South American countries, such as Brazil, as well as influencing the enactment of the Pelé Law, which abolished the “passe” system in Brazilian soccer. This process has resulted in the early export of Brazilian players, who are trained technically and tactically in Europe, perpetuating the subordination of Brazilian soccer in the global economy of sport and limiting the development and appreciation of national leagues. The research adopts a qualitative approach, using the Process Tracing method to identify the causal relationships between the Bosman decision and the transformations in the Brazilian soccer market. Findings were collected through a literature review and documentary analysis, providing a theoretical and contextual overview of the impacts of the legal framework and Brazil's position in the soccer sector.