Como ocorreu o processo de término da carreira esportiva de ex-atletas de futebol que disputaram copas do mundo pelo Brasil entre 1966 e 1982?

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the end of the career of former soccer players who competed in World Cup for Brazil between 1966 and 1982. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixformer athletes. The interviews were analyzed by means of meaning-units. The content of the interview was organized into five categories. The results indicate that the former athletes did not have access to a professional structure to plan for after the end of their career. They failed to reconcile their sports career with their studies. The described reasons for the end of careers included psychological saturation, injuries, and old age. The interviewees had several post-career occupations, many of them related to the sports environment. Their families were the greatest source of support during the end of their careers. It is concluded that the causes of the retirement of the interviewees were multifactorial, and that the former athletes did not have a structured plan for after the end of their sports career.