Estádio Plácido Aderaldo Castelo - World Cup 2014 Venue

Futebol arte is a celebration of diversity over uniformity, of the individual over the collective and indeed, of football as an art form, where great sides are orchestras, midfield generals are conductors and flying wingers are soloists.

The same way the Netherlands - as explained by David Winner in Brilliant Orange - as the most densely populated country in Europe brought its creative thinking about space in the everyday to its football, the spirit of futebol arte has bestowed great individuality to all facets of the game in Brazil.

Consider the wonderfully individual stanchions that previously stood at either end of Castelao, the maestro who lovingly designed them and all that's been lost to the game by replacing them with box-nets.

Please sign our petition.

Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto - World Cup 2014 Venue

Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto - or Mineirão - played host to Ronaldo during O Fenomeno's debut season, his club Cruzeiro's unique method for suspending the goal nets an inadvertent tribute to the modern game's most unique talent. 





In the rush to upgrade, gentrify and homogenise the stadium for next year's World Cup finals,  the unique - the very attribute which made Brazil Brazil, and Mineirão instantly recognisable - has been lost. 

Please sign our petition and re-install the unique at Mineirão for next year's World Cup.

Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha - World Cup 2014 Venue

With bent legs and the air of a man playing simply for the joy of playing, Manuel Francisco dos Santos - called a wren, or garrincha by his big sister - is the mazy dribbling embodiment of diversity over conformity, of the individual over the team, of what Brazilians call futebol arte. 





Following Garrincha's retirement the CBF named the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia after him and, out of respect to the nation's most Brazilian of players, hung the goal nets from Brazilian L-supports.




However the old stadium has been replaced by a shiny new one for the 2014 World Cup, and the Brazilian L-supports have disappointingly been replaced by box-nets.

The famous Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues wrote, "He is considered a retard but Garrincha proved in the (1958) World Cup that we are the retarded ones - because we think, we rationalise."

Yet no thought has gone into junking Brazilian heritage by installing uniform box-nets in the stadium named after Brazil's most diverse player and there's no rational reason Brazil can't celebrate it's own World Cup between goal nets suspended in the traditional Brazilian way.

Brazil - Esporte Clube Vitoria

E.C. Vitoria hail from Salvador in Bahia.

While their Bahian league games are hosted at WC 2014 venue Arena Fonte Nova with it's box-nets, the bread and butter of Serie A is played out between these wonderful A-frames at their home Estadio Manoel Barradas.




Aren't these similar to the mid-70's stanchions at Manchester City?

The Campaign

If you support diversity and individual identity in the game, and if you're tired of football everywhere looking the same, PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION.

You think FIFA won't budge? You think you can't make a difference?

As Rangers Tax Case wrote in the Guardian:

"Why bother? What can I do?" 

If it is something you care about, you can do anything you want.

WC 2014 Venues - Arena Fonte Nova

If it's roof doesn't collapse meantime, Arena Fonte Nova will host 6 matches at the World Cup and suspend the inevitable box nets in the style of Argentina's Boca Juniors, as witnessed at the stadium's recent inauguration.




The new stadium replaces the old Estadio Fonte Nova which had a history of unique on-field architecture, as per it's A-frames of the 1980's and 90's.



Please sign our petition and have the unique re-installed at Fonte Nova.