Former Brazil int'l and Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva and the player movement Bom Senso are "seeking a modernisation of the Brazilian domestic game, but Silva says much remains to be done for Brazilian football to reemerge as a powerhouse," according to Samindra Kunti of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. Brazil and football have "always been synonymous." Brazil "stands for the beautiful game yet today the grandeur has faded from the Brazilian game." An "institutional crisis has left Brazil ponderous:" the Brazilian FA (CBF) is "fragile, the national team is stagnant, the clubs are mired in debts, 85% of the players earn little more than the minimum wage, the calendar is out-of-sync with the rest of the world and attendances at stadiums are low." In '13 Silva "joined the player-run movement Bom Senso FC (Common Sense FC)." Bom Senso is "trying to mobilise the Brazilian public to push for reforms in Brazilian football and vociferously campaigns for improved conditions for players and clubs in Brazilian football as well as the introduction of Financial Fair Play," a refinancing of the clubs' €950M ($1.08B) debt with the government. Silva said, "Brazilian football needs to be more organized. The CBF, the state federations, the clubs and the players -- everyone needs to work together. If you don’t work together, everyone will look after themselves. It’s a big challenge to work together and get a good result. The CBF are struggling to unite everyone and to do things better" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 3/30).
