The number of recorded cases of racism in Brazilian football has resumed the upward trend, previously reduced, in part, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 Report on Racial Discrimination in Football points to 64 cases that occurred last year in the country. If you also include episodes of LGBTphobia, sexism, and xenophobia, the total adds up to 109.
The document, produced for the eighth consecutive year, was prepared by the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Football and the Museum of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Folha had access to the data, which will be officially presented this Wednesday (24), by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), at the Seminar on Combating Racism and Violence in Football. "We cannot forget that [2020] was an atypical year, with the occurrence of the pandemic and without the attendance of fans in the stadiums. Thus, we highlight the existence of a high number of discriminatory acts", says the report.
Elaborated since 2014, the document points to an increase in episodes of discrimination in recent years, with the exception of 2020. In cases of racism, as of 2017, the number went from 43 to 47 (2018), then to 70 (2019). In 2020, they were 31. In 2021, with a good part of the season still held in stadiums without an audience, the number reached 64.
Translated by Cassy Dias