Apparently, there are an estimated 10,000 Brazilian professionals earning their living outside of Brazilian soccer. The answer, of course, is that the Brazilian game, perhaps more than any other in the world, has the extraordinary ability to reinvent and regenerate itself constantly. Someone leaves, somebody else takes his place, often with little drop-off in quality. These self-healing powers have allowed Brazil's domestic league to survive decades of emigration. You've got to wonder however how much longer it will be able to hang on.
Brazil is a populous country filled with people who love and understandthe game.
Stadiums should be full, week in, week out, but they aren't. Television and sponsorship revenues should be sky-high, but they aren't. And a few weeks ago none other than Ronaldo was interrogated by the Brazilian Congress about why the team lost the 1998 World Cup final. Insane scheduling, late payments to players, officials using clubs as pawns to further their own political careers, the list goes on and on. It's a testament to the strength and depth of Brazilian soccer that it has survived.