Book on studies in soccer to be translated into Arabic

The book “O ensino do futebol: para além da bola rolando” [Teaching Soccer: Beyond the Ball Rolling], which brings texts on Studies in Soccer in a didactic and accessible manner, is the result of a joint work of researchers from the Study Group on Soccer and Supporters (GEFuT) of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The work addresses soccer not only as a sport but as a cultural activity that goes beyond the ball on the field. The book was published in 2016 by Rio de Janeiro’s Jaguatirica publishing house and will be translated into Arabic.

According to the organizer of the book GEFuT founder Silvio Ricardo da Silva, beyond the ball rolling there are other aspects involving soccer such as arts, videogames, and gender and race issues. “We discuss a lot with our students the soccer thing as a social phenomenon; it is not just a sport, it is not just a game, it’s more than that,” Silva told ANBA.

Silva addressed the difficulty in implement the soccer teaching beyond the field in his daily life. “People think teaching soccer is just about the game itself, the rules, the tactics, the technique. But we aim at picking up topics that are discussed where soccer is taught, and we turned them into a textbook, creating content and activities,” he said.

Divided into twelve chapters, the book is aimed at soccer teachers, PE teachers, trainers, and coaches. In a chapter called Gender and Sexuality, for example, Silva says the book raises awareness on the topic with dates and figures, then it suggests movies and books and brings a debate activity on the topics presented.

“Soccer is a very heteronormative space, where women find it hard to get into, so does the non- heteronormative boy, thus we bring a discussion o raise awareness and propose some activities,” said Silva.

The translation into Arabic was negotiated between the Jaguatirica publishing house and Egyptian publishing house Al-Arabi through B2Bs organized by the Brazilian Publishers program last December within the international program to encourage the publication of Brazilian books abroad. The Arabic translation in Egypt is expected to be launched in January 2022, according to the publisher Ranya Bakr.

On the book’s translation into Arabic, Silva said the study group was very happy. “It’s very rewarding to see our work being spread. It’s a great pleasure to see that our work will be read by more people in a country where soccer is so present in its culture,” he said.

Press Release

The book’s organizer Silvio Ricardo da Silva

Al-Arabi publish contemporary books from several countries in its Different Literature project. “The Arab readers know little of Brazil, which is very stereotyping. At first, readers weren’t used to this kind of book,” the publishing house’s co-owner Ranya Bakr was quoted as saying in a news release. The collection aims at publishing contemporary books from different countries to break stereotypes on peoples and cultures lesser known in the Arab countries. Ranya Bakr and her brother Sherif are the owners of Al-Arabi. The publishing house turns 48 this year.

Despite the geographic and cultural distance, Brazil is well known for its soccer in Egypt. The book’s organizer believes “there’s a desire that soccer is an economic, social, behavioral lifeline for the youth, not considering the different factors that affect these social phenomena. It’s easier to win in the lotto than to earn [Egyptian player] Salah’s wage. To deal with that, we need to do an education work, and that’s where the book comes: to prepare these people’s education,” he said.

The book ‘O ensino do futebol: para além da bola rolando’ is available in Portuguese onJaguatirica’s website and other online bookstores.

Quick Facts

O Ensino do Futebol
Silvio Ricardo da Silva (org.) (et. al.)
Editora Jaguatirica, Rio de Janeiro, 2016
ISBN 9788556620361
236 pages
BRL 60