The revolutionary management of Corinthians Democracy

The Corinthians Democracy (1981–1985) can be defined as a political movement led by an athlete graduated in medicine (Socrates), a leader athlete of the Union of Athletes of the State of São Paulo (Wladimir) and a rebel athlete, representative of the counterculture in the Brazilian football (Casagrande). These three sides – the university lineage, the syndicalist tradition and the rebellious movement – converged to form the Corinthians Democracy, whose revolutionary energy, however, came from the social, political and cultural forces that entered the historical scene, placing in question the continuity of the civil-military regime. At the administrative level, Corinthians Democracy was characterized by participatory management, implemented by the director of football, Adilson Monteiro Alves. This article discusses the proposal to create the supporter partner (sócio-torcedor), a political category that aimed to expand the electoral base in the club, democratizing the exercise of power.