Opinion – Renata Mendonça: Union of players could mark effective actions to combat violence in football

There may be no right answer to the question all of us football lovers have been asking this week. What can we do to end so many episodes of violence and barbarism by fans? But the fact is that the only wrong answer is the one we have been giving lately. Doing nothing can no longer be an option.

We’ve reached a point where missing one more (or a few, as was the case of the weekend) episode like this can escalate the next events to a tragedy with fatal victims.

On Thursday (24), Bahia was the target of an attack on the bus that was taking its players to a match in the Copa do Nordeste. There were injuries, the main one being goalkeeper Danilo Fernandes who had to go to the hospital. And what happened? The ball rolled.

On the same day, the van with Náutico players was also attacked by fans. Good thing, no one was hurt. On Saturday (26), the game that marked the relegation of Paraná to the second division of Paranaense had fans invading the lawn to attack players.

That same Saturday, the Grêmio bus was the target of stones thrown by Inter fans. Paraguayan Villasanti was hit, suffered head trauma and was taken to hospital. Grêmio refused to take the field for the Gre-Nal, which was postponed.

Cascavel also saw its bus being stoned leaving a game against Maringá. In four days, five absurd episodes of violence targeting players in regional competition matches.

Some of them took to social media. “Rivalry, banter, jokes, all this has always been part of our football! Now what I can’t understand, is the reason to put the physical integrity of a person, whoever they are, on account of a ‘passion’ or ‘ rivalry’ of the sport! The next step is a tragedy…”, wrote the midfielder Zé Rafael, from Palmeiras.

“What happened with Grêmio and what has been happening in Brazil is unacceptable. Anyone who works with football needs to have security to exercise their profession. Those who support, need to have security to exercise their passion. Something needs to be done. ENOUGH! , posted the Grêmio defender Geromel.

I wonder if, in addition to these posts, the players have talked to each other about the escalation of episodes of violence in football and articulated some movement to publicly demonstrate this dissatisfaction. Because, over the last few years, we have seen with some frequency unacceptable cases that put the safety of players at risk – invasion of fans in training (with a weapon, including, as happened in Figueirense in 2020), attacks on players’ buses (happened with São Paulo in early 2021), but we may never have seen so many episodes in a row leaving even players injured.

I remember that, in 2013, for the first time we saw football players articulate in claims for vacation rights, calendar, salary delays, etc. Bom Senso FC was a milestone in Brazilian football and managed to raise important debates – which even caused changes to the calendar. Perhaps it is time for the players to resume this union. Talk to each other, act in favor of their own physical integrity. Their attitude can awaken clubs and authorities to effectively do something to combat these cases of violence that have already been so “naturalized” in football.

It is clear that the situation requires a broad debate by all parties involved so that actions are taken: clubs, federations, security agencies, the press, athletes, everyone needs to understand their role in this. But the players right now are in the eye of the storm. Their union is too important right now.