About elections, festivals and resolution of problems: futebol de várzea and local political networks in Belo Horizonte (1962-1965)

ABSTRACT The present article aims to investigate the connections between futebol de várzea clubs and local political leaders from Belo Horizonte in the final moment of the Brazilian democratic interval in the middle 1960’s. Mobilizing press records and the social memory about this practice, aim to understand how these interactions enable the maintenance of this sport increasingly threatened by the pressures of the urban transformation. The examination of these relations allowed realize a large reciprocity network, which extend apart from the elections and the simple act of exchanging favor for votes.