Categories of supporting and female participation in a torcida chopp from Rio

Abstract

How are women fans included in a torcida organizada? This article aims to unravel the insertion of female supporters in the stands with a torcida chopp. I argue that this type of organization favors the integration of female fans in terms of safety, comfort and hospitality. If, on one hand, sexism and sports venues that are still too masculine can restrict female involvement in supporting a sports team, on the other hand, torcidas such as the chopp type favor the experience and integration of women in the stands. Based on ethnography on game days at Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas and semi-structured interviews carried out with Torcida Fogoró members, more specifically with the women’s wing of the given Torcida, I discuss presence, participation, reception and belonging among these female fans-interlocutors in football activities and socialities. It appears that torcidas chopp, which are very notable for not being involved in violent episodes and for having a more family-friendly character, help to attract a different audience than what generally comprises more traditional, “young” organized fans. To locate these differences between forms of supporting, I classify the organized squads into three categories, chopp, jovem and barra, which will be presented in the text.

Submission: Aug 07, 2024 ⊶ Accepted: Sep 14, 2024