They were tens of thousands, Sunday evening, to be taken to the streets of Rio de Janairo, Brasilia, São Paulo and Recife to celebrate the result of the 1st round of the presidential election in Brazil. The candidate of the extreme right-wing Jair Bolsonaro has collected 46,06 % of the vote in the first round, which places him in a position of strength to impose within fifteen days and the successor to Michel Temer. The one who is called the “Trump tropical” for its positions, populist, and his proposals very firm security and issues of society can count on support surprising : that many of the football players recognized brazilian.

On the eve of the election, Ronaldinho has published a photo on social networks with this text : “For a Brazil best, I want peace, security, and someone who gives us back the joy. (…) I want a Brazil best for all. “On the snapshot, the ex-middle offensive 38-year-old is back, with a yellow jersey of the Seleção flocked to the 17, the code name of Jair Bolsonaro on the electronic ballot boxes. A few days earlier, that is Rivaldo, golden Ball in 1999, which explained on Instagram that ” Jair Bolsonaro is the ideal candidate for our country.” The politician is said to be honoured by two of his supporters as he had done in September, when another football player, activity, had also expressed his support : Lucas Moura.

“This is a moment that we are in a crisis”

The ex-player of PSG, who joined Tottenham last season, has explained on Twitter in a long series of messages. Unlike Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, he has defended fiercely in the face of the criticisms of many users. “I don’t have the right to express my opinion ?” he irked. And the right wing, who has just been called again in the selection of brazil, to resume the arguments of the ” dégagisme “, so popular among the supporters of the candidate : “This is a moment that we are in a crisis and that the candidates that we elect have solved nothing. “On the other hand, it does not breath a word on the multiple blunders xenophobic, homophobic and misogynist of Jair Bolsonaro, or on its willingness to re-instate the gun in the country…

The weight of the gospel

How to explain that these footballers, which also includes the ex-midfielder of Juventus ‘ Felipe Melo and the player retired Cafu, support it publicly ? “They are not different from the rest of the population, explains to the Point Armelle Enders, professor of contemporary history at the university of Paris VIII and a specialist in Brazil. They identify with either the dominant class to which they belong, and who vote Bolsonaro, to the popular class which they are drawn to the most (and who also massively voted Bolsonaro, editor’s NOTE) “. Many of these players, like Ronaldinho, had already expressed positions close to the evangelicals rather than to the extreme right and recognize themselves in the defence of the model of the traditional family advocated by Jair Balsonaro. Thus, “Ronnie” joined in march 2018, the republican Party of brazil, the PRB, an evangelical formation listed to the right, and related to the very powerful, universal Church of the kingdom of God, who supports the candidate of the extreme right.

public figures in brazil support Jair Bolsonaro are rare to express themselves in the public debate, and this also explains why the choice of these footballers is as publicized. Only the singers of ” sertaneja “, a kind of country music, brazilian very popular in rural areas of the country, also show their support for the populist contender. On the other hand, ” the world of culture is unanimously mobilized against him “, says Armelle Enders. Which camp will win ? Response, on October 28 for the second round of the presidential election.

On the same topic in Brazil en route to a 2nd round of hectic