PROCESSO DE CONTRATAÇÃO DE TREINADORES PORTUGUESES POR GESTORES DE CLUBES DE FUTEBOL DO BRASIL: UM ESTUDO QUALITATIVO

Abstract

The number of Portuguese coaches in Brazilian professional football has never been so high. In the past six years, Brazil has become the second country to hire more Portuguese coaches. From 2019 until mid-September 2024, 14 Portuguese coaches went to work in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (Brazilian Championship Serie A) football teams. At the time of this study, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A has four Portuguese coaches, and, in 2023, this index increased by eight coaches among the 20 teams participating in the competition. In this regard, there is a change of orientation in the Brazilian coach recruitment, as well as some changes in this cultural exchange. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the reason for these hires; the ways in which they happen; the impact of this movement, and the Brazilian football internal changes with these professionals and their legacies. For that, 11 male Brazilian football teams managers, aged between 40 and 73 years old, experienced in the Portuguese coaches' recruitment, contributed to this study. The interviews were conducted through an online platform, each one containing between 24 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. All interviews were fully transcribed. The thematic analysis revealed four key themes: recruitment; financial issues; reasons for hiring a Portuguese coach, impact and legacy of Portuguese coaches in Brazil. The study results highlight the existence of fundamental drivers for the growth of Portuguese coaches in Brazilian football, which lead to the teams' structural and financial organizations.