Silence in the favela

Rivalry, dramatization and class stereotypes in FlaFlu’s social representations

Abstract

The sports chronicle is naturally filled with drama, romance and poetry. In Rio de Janeiro, this narrative got strength thanks to the brothers Mário Filho and Nelson Rodrigues’ antics, who used the lyricism intrinsic to football to demarcate certain antagonistic social representations. The stereotypes of “favela team” and “noble team”, associated respectively with Flamengo and Fluminense, are one of the examples of how the FlaFlu rivalry takes shape beyond the pitch, also taking shape through lyricism based on this “tradition invented” that contrasts the rich and the poor. Based on these perspectives, the objective of this article is to highlight – based on a bibliographical review of these club’s founding history – which social and cultural aspects contribute to the fact that, to this day, Flamengo is a club associated with the popular classes, while Fluminense remains rooted in its aristocratic origins.