A profissionalização da carreira esportiva no futebol de mulheres no Brasil: trajetórias das atletas de elite

Abstract

This research arises in a context of change to women's football, marked by the CONMENBOL regulations that forced clubs to have women's teams in order to compete in continental championships. Faced with a scenario that directly affected the career development of those dedicated to women's football, we focused on understanding the recordings and expectations of the athletes regarding the professionalization of the sport. In this sense, we sought to answer the following questions: What are the trends in the process of professionalization of women's football in Brazil? What are the conditions for the development of a sports career in women's football? How has the academic literature described the effects of recent policies to promote women's football? The objective of this research was to describe how the recent changes in Brazilian women's football influenced the development of sports careers and athletes and expectations regarding the professionalization of the sport. This research uses a qualitative approach, which seeks to work in depth with the athletes' perception of this process. 20 players who are part of clubs that played in the A1 series of Brazilian football in 2021 and 2022 were interviewed. The interpretations were made through thematic analysis. As a result, we indicate a still incipient path of professionalization, but with changes after the CONMENBOL regulations. It is also possible to notice a movement of clubs that are playing in the Brazilian A1 series, with a greater presence of traditional men's football clubs, making part of the professionalization of women's football to be anchored to men's football. However, professionalization has not necessarily ratified a scenario of valuing women in football. There are still a number of challenges to be faced. Such challenges range from national and local competition calendars that expected the teams to be structured to perform throughout the year, to the structure offered by the clubs for career development. In addition, remuneration in the form of a salary, exclusive dedication to field soccer competitions and a decrease in the incidence of dual careers in sport are also trends that have reversed in the last decade. The presence of contracts is still not prevalent among athletes, so their integration into the “labor market” has guarantees and some compromised rights.