“O Maraca é nosso!”: da “monumentalidade das massas” ao “padrão-FIFA” - neoliberalização da cidade, elitização do futebol e lutas sociais em torno do Maracanã

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the different meanings attributed to the Maracanã Stadium, this is the construction of a monumental stadium for the masses suitable to the "FIFA standard". This reflection was made by means of highlighting the impact of the reform for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which includes the concession of the stadium to the private sector, the acceleration of the elitization of football and the neoliberalization of the city, as well as the social struggles to resist to these processes, especially of those directly affected. This task comes from activism in the World Cup and Olympics Popular Commitee of Rio de Janeiro, in particular in relation to the campaign “O Maraca é nosso!”. The decision for the Maracanã as the subject aims to register the political struggle around the stadium and deepen some issues that emerged during this process. The analysis is based on the perspective that the spatial forms are the result of the action of agents, they act at multiple scales, with different interests and strategies, sources of conflicts and contradictions. For the development of this study, it was conducted a literature review of the main points and a research on the Maracanã in some of the largest newspapers in Rio de Janeiro, focusing on the following means of comunication and decades: "Jornal dos Sports", in the end of the 40’s; "Jornal do Brasil", in the 80’s and in the 90’s; and, "O Globo", in the 2000 decade. Documentary sources related to the process of classification of Maracanã, as an historical monument, was carried out by IPHAN, as well as by the spatial interventions for the 2014 World Cup. Actually, they were collected from the federal government site. Furthermore, Maracanã’s bidding documents were analyzed. Also, activists who acted against the impacts of the reform and concession of the stadium. It was observed that the World Cup has promoted a process of “creative destruction” of urban forms and institutions to serve the interests of the hegemonic agents,- this results in the deterritorialization and violation of the rights of the most vulnerable in society. On the other hand, the resistance has shown to be effective, ensuring victories, although partial ones to the masses. As a matter of fact, it was expressed in the state government's retreat in its proposed demolition of Maracanã surrounding installations.