Os Italians who landed in Brazil 150 years ago directly impacted the creation and evolution of some of the country's most traditional clubs, such as Juventus (SP), which celebrates its centenary in 2024, while fighting to maintain its “Italianness”.
Born in the São Paulo neighborhood of Mooca after the merger of two amateur teams formed by Italian workers, the “Moleque Travesso” does not hide its origins: the name is a tribute to Juventus of Turin, while the maroon color of its uniform refers to Torino, the rival of the Old Lady.
However, despite its roots in Italy, the intensity of this relationship has been decreasing over time due to the mixing of peoples in Mooca, a former Italian stronghold in São Paulo, but which, over time, also began to house migrants from other places.
“The population began to be aggregated with many other people, migrants and immigrants, of different origins, significantly reducing the Italian predominance, which, although much smaller than in the past, still predominates,” said Ângelo Agarelli, Juventus historian, in an interview with ANSA.
“Regardless of this miscegenation, as these customs were so striking, many of these new residents [of Mooca] were and are influenced by them, and they remain so to this day, although to a lesser extent,” he added.
One of the ways that fans have found to preserve their roots is to challenge the concept of “modern football” to value traditions that persist to this day, such as the sale of cannoli at the Conde Rodolfo Crespi stadium, an Italian businessman who was one of the club’s main supporters in its early years.
In Brazil, the field is better known by its address, Rua Javari.
According to Agarelli, preserving Juventus' Italian origins attracts sympathy from other fans and also helps in “obtaining the sponsorships necessary for the maintenance and growth of its football department”.
However, journalist Beatriz Lia, author of the book “Mooca: Só quem tem história pode contar” and a Juventus fan, highlighted the need for the club not to remain stagnant in the past and to seek support from a major sponsor, such as Bragantino, which reached the elite of Brazilian football after the arrival of Red Bull – Juventus currently plays in the A2 series of the Campeonato Paulista, a tournament in which it was once a frequent presence in the first division.
“Maybe things are like this now precisely to maintain Italian tradition, but maybe these are ideas and concepts that no longer work for the club. The main challenge is how to balance maintaining Italian traditions without becoming outdated,” she told ANSA.
On the other hand, the journalist praised Juventus's “attempts at diversification”, such as opening the club's headquarters to host concerts, implementing other sports and attracting new members. (HANDLE)
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