'Footballs' Competitions: The Women's Team of Maracanã Football Club Takes the Field

Abstract

The women's “footballs” team of Maracana Futebol Club, located in the Morro Alto area, municipality of Maquiné/RS, was established in 1992 and remained active until 1997. This paper aims to understand the participation of the Maracana women's team in “footballs” competitions (field football, futsal, football society, currently women's seven-a-side football) in the 1990s. Semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed with the players, coach, and a local radio announcer, in addition to using images provided by the athletes. Thematic content analysis of the interviews revealed that the athletes gathered at the Maracana club field for training, which occurred at most twice a week. Gradually, they started participating in “footballs” competitions held in municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, with only one competition outside the State. The analysis of historical sources shows that the participation in competitions was primarily due to the commitment of the women, who paid for registrations, transportation, and other costs. Another point raised was the absence of custom jerseys for the team, neither by the club, during its short existence, the men's football team's uniform was used in competitions. The lack of greater support from the club to participate in competitions, as well as the players' relocation to other cities for work and study, may have led to the team's dissolution in 1997.