ABSTRACT

Restructuring football is one of the main purposes of the movement that led to the creation of Federacao das Torcidas Organizadas do Rio de Janeiro (FTORJ) - and, by extension, Associacao Nacional de Torcidas Organizadas do Brasil (ANATORG). The context of structural transformations Brazil's professional football industry has been going through is one of the factors that explain the creation of an institutional level of representativeness for Brazilian organised football supporters. Through the institutional path, the football supporter clubs aim to be recognized as legitimate social actors in the public arenas, namely decisions with governments, sporting entities, the 'Public Prosecutor's Office', the 'Ministry of Sports', and the press. The series resulted in the formation of a database of oral history with football supporter club leaders in Brazil, which is part of the collection of Sao Paulo's Football Museum.