Despite Lucas Moura’s move to Paris Saint-Germain he remained more than content to remain in Brazil if need be; with Neymar, Dede, Leandro Damiao and now Ganso also all deciding to stay put, what is the reason behind the sudden drop in Brazilian football migration?
One of Brazil’s biggest young starlets Ganso appears to have shocked many with a decision to join Sao Paulo from cross city rivals Santos in a £7million deal. The 22-year-old playmaker, affectionately known as ‘Goose’ has been perennially linked with various big clubs in Europe for the past 2 years since making his international debut for Selecao against the USA in 2010.
But why, with the collaborative clamour of some Europe’s finest, would the precociously talented Brazilian turn them down in order to remain in his homeland? While it sounds almost possessive of us in Europe to say such things about foreign imports the fact remains that Brazilian players abroad remain the largest migratory demographic for football employment.
In the past players from Brazil have moved to Italy, France and Germany to kick-start their European careers and in recent time’s destinations such as Ukraine, Scandinavia and Russia have become popular. With increased globalisation even the Middle East, Australia and Japan, where Hulk first made his name, have also dipped their toe in the Brazilian talent pool.
Of course the big leagues have also capitalised on the wealth of talent from Brazil but one reason behind the sudden desire to stay in Brazil could be a perceived lack of opportunity on our continent. Names such as Kerlon, Keirrison and Wellington Silva have not yet reached the dizzy heights that were originally touted for them; in an act of self-preservation players such as Ganso are now being more cautious about moving to Europe while still in their teens.
However that would not seem correct with talents such as Ganso, Leandro Damiao, Neymar and Dede now seemingly worthy of playing across the pond.
One matter that must be considered is the fact Brazil is no longer a LEDC with one of the fastest growing economies on the planet and the Campeanato mirrors this development with the luring back of talents such as Robinho, Ronaldinho, Elano, Jadson, Daniel Carvalho and Luis Fabiano amongst many. Money is now available for the bigger names and Brazilian clubs are prepared to delve into it; even if a large proportion comes from the shady third party ownerships that have become the bugbear of many a European club.
The main reason behind the delayed exodus could of course be the FIFA World Cup in 2014 whereby more players are deciding to hang around a little longer in Brazil. Many a player feels perhaps obliged to remain in their homeland during a time of national boom. Combine this with the new found wealth in the Brazilian game and leaving your home country is not essential to success anymore, at least not at such an early age.
With the added incentive of a higher chance of selection by remaining in the national league the players are staying for all the right reasons; but don’t be surprised if come summer 2014 players, such as the likes of Neymar, move en masse to Europe and beyond once the World Cup comes and passes.
Why do you think the Brazilian players are staying at home?
And is it to the detriment of the Brazilian national team who currently sit 12th in FIFA’s World Rankings that many of their stars are not getting the European experience a generation past have?
images: © Ronnie Macdonald, © jikatu
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