The possible return of Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez to Corinthians in Sao Paulo, although influenced by a wish to be closer to his children in Argentina, is symptomatic of a wider trend driven by the strength of the Brazilian real.
The possible return of Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez to Corinthians in Sao Paulo, although influenced by a wish to be closer to his children in Argentina, is symptomatic of a wider trend driven by the strength of the Brazilian real.
Young stars are now playing longer in Brazil before heading to Europe while veterans are going back home earlier as the pay gap with Europe narrows. Spending on new players in Brazil rose 63 per cent in 2010 compared with a year earlier as against a 25 per cent drop in Europe, according to marketing agency Prime Time Sport. The total number of players ‘exported’ from Brazil also fell 14 per cent in 2009, the latest year for which data is available.
The Brazilian real recently hit a 12-year high against the dollar and has gained 35 per cent against both the euro and the pound since 2008. Other factors attracting players back home are reforms of the country’s successful professional league and the prospect of the 2014 World Cup.