“Brazilian Dance with the Devil” is one of the five books by Dave Zirin, a renowned American sports writer and editor of Sports Illustrated magazine, who has a unique perspective on sports. This book, which is the result of Zirin’s research and observations from the World Cup in Brazil, has a non-sports tone and tries to highlight other aspects of football – the most popular sport in the world – as well as global tournaments such as the Olympics and the World Cup.

The above-mentioned book delves into the political, cultural, economic, and social impacts of these competitions on societies, especially those that play host, and narrates how the consequences of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil have led to the displacement of the country’s indigenous people. In addition to describing how the Brazilian government, in order to meet the standards approved by FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (including the construction of luxury stadiums), has encroached upon the living areas of marginalized communities and the culture of the country’s poor, the book also discusses corruption within these institutions and argues that such actions have worsened the living standards of people in areas such as education, healthcare, public transportation, and security.

The author, while mentioning that according to globalization policies, the style of football in Brazil has also changed and has been influenced by European football, believes that this change in style is a betrayal to the culture and football that has its roots in the country’s indigenous traditions such as samba and capoeira, and created conditions for children who were interested in this sport to play and develop their talents in public spaces; not for them to become mere products of the “football industry” or “club brands” as it is today.

In the introduction written by the Persian translator of the work, we read: “When FIFA agreed to Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 World Cup on October 30, 2007, it was not only the Brazilians who were happy, but all football fans. It was a well-deserved right. We were all waiting for a magnificent World Cup, but a few months before its start, we saw football lovers on the streets protesting against the World Cup organizers. The passionate Brazilian football fans were protesting against the hosting of the most important football event in their country. They preferred to be in clashes with riot police outside the stadiums rather than watching football on the stands… Diogo Zirin does not only revolve around stadiums and stars, he goes to the streets of Rio and the alleys of Sao Paulo, talking to protesting people and showing us a picture that we cannot see from mainstream media; this is the picture that makes his book attractive and best-selling. The picture of the

Reading this book, which has found its own special audience in Iran after being translated into Persian, is recommended for football enthusiasts and civil activists, especially in the current situation where the 2018 World Cup is taking place in Russia and a large population around the world is focused on the green rectangle and many news outlets are influenced by this sporting event for at least a month.

Book Name: Dancing with the Devil in Brazil: World Cup, Olympics, and the Struggle for Democracy

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Author: Clever Devil

Translator: Ali Arabzadeh

Publication Date: 1395

Publisher: Name