Martha, my Dear

Brazil and Mexico, in a sunny afternoon at the Pacaembu Stadium, last sunday: recital

One of the funniest Beatles songs was Martha my Dear. Released in the White Album, 1968, it talks about some "Martha", "silly girl... look what you've done...".

"Silly" became the 25 thousand people at the Pacaembu Stadium this sunday, in the final match of the City of São Paulo International Tournament of Women's Football. "Silly" became the mexican girls, who opened the score but, in the final, suffered a classic 2 x 5 - three by Marta. Who was chosen, in the following day (and four-in-a-row, an unpublished fact in this award - Ronaldo and Zidane won it three times each), FIFA World Player of the Year. One of the characteristics of "post"-modernity on football is the obsession with the reproduction of the past, copy on copy, what often isn't so handsome. Sure, watching Marta today isn't like watching Pelé's boom - the circumstances are quite different. But it's worth it.

In one of the last verses of Martha my Dear, McCartney sings "Martha, my love / don't forget me...". She, sure, will never be forgot.

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"Incensed" players

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Arup, Pereira and Subhashis at Numbers and Curiosities room:

strong green-and-yellow presence

From Bangalore - the World capital of incense sticks - came to the Football Museum last saturday, december 19th, Subhashis Das and Arup Deb, with their Brazilian friend Rodrigo Pereira.

Football fan, Arup talks about the (strong) presence of Brazilian footballers in India - and those who play in Bangalore are, probably, incensed - in the Portuguese form.
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Musical inclusion

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Wonder in 1972: wonderful music

One of the main objectives of the Football Museum is, as known, acessibility. Inviting all publics is one of the main targets of the FM - above all those with special needs. And, for those, was developed a structure for receiving them, and educators are trained for it.

Otherwise, it may occour that inclusion happens from this public to the others. Just like happened with funk (the very one) and soul - the American black music, in its varieties. Many were included, and were introduced to this world through musicians like Stevie Wonder - in shows like the same of John and Yoko in 1972, in the Madison Square Garden, New York. The interpretation of Superstition by Wonder and band is famous because of the twisted funk, a lot of times copied. A real musical inclusion.

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Mandela Day

. Raneshri, Malin, Thaneshri and Vanitha Chetty,
and the smile of Mandela, in the background: citizen of the World

From the country of the World Cup (and one of the most beautiful of the World) came the Chetty family. Living in Durban, the city that will host one of the semifinals of the tournament in the next year, the Chetties saw, in the time tunnel of the 20th century, the World Cups room, Nelson Mandela, quite famous and important to South Africa, and to the World.

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"Mandela is free" was a phrase of one of the most popular songs of that time, Mandela Day, by the Simple Minds. And the World became more free than before, too.

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Mandela's speech in his inauguration, 1994: crucial moment and person

Rare Harare

.The students from Harare in the World Cups room: learning and teaching

One day after the visit of the Nigerian students, the Football Museum now hosts (proudly) about 12 visitors from Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.

There's nothing better in a year that will certainly be a year of the African football, of the Africa World Cup. The africaincentrism of june that emerges is healthy, nice. Mamma nostra, mamma Africa.

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We hope the next visitors will come from the Ivory Coast - our "enemies" (but brothers) of our second match in the World Cup.
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Lagos - of football

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Lifeforte International School students playing fussball...

...and, just like a squad, at Numbers and Curiosities room: unmeasurable honour.

The Football Museum - 0r Brazil itself - had the honour on hosting, in this wednesday afternoon, dec. 9th, the visit of the students of the Lifeforte International School, from Ibadan, Nigeria.

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Almost in the year of the first World Cup in the African continent, the LIS visit is more than welcomed - it's a honour for a football (and a country) that learned and learned with the African tradition. From Origins to the World Cups.

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