Foreign Kicks – Samba Football (The flip side): women in Brazilian football

Anna J Kaiser reports from Brazil on the other side of a football-mad nation, arguing that the passion which makes men gods on earth presents a double standard for women as players, coaches and fans. Player Aline Franca says Brazil is the country of football but only for the men, and that women’s football is never shown on Globo. Marta, five times FIFA World Player of the Year, cannot play at home for lack of structure, and her international team-mates head to Sweden, Russia and the United States to earn anything at all. The piece covers an Adidas shirt withdrawn after complaints from President Dilma Rousseff, and gathers testimony from Rebecca Cristiny, Jessica Maria, Dryka Santos and blind-football coach Rhaiane Leitao de Andrade about the abuse they face, while the Rocha sisters argue women’s football has more heart.