Football and promoting reading don’t usually cross paths in sports headlines, but Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Scarpa has been trying for several years to change that narrative.
Known for his love of books and chess, the Atlético Mineiro player has become in recent days a cultural phenomenon in Brazil. His project on YouTube’s “Canal do Scarpinha” began two weeks ago, with a ten-minute video in which he appears somewhat shy commenting on his perception of the book Their Eyes Were Watching God, by author Zora Neale Hurston.
But the impact of his facet as a literary influencer became evident when his Portuguese-language review of the classic The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by the Russian Leo Tolstoy, propelled the work to the top of the bestseller list on Amazon Brazil. The video analyzing the book, also ten minutes long, already surpasses 600,000 views. However, Scarpa’s love of reading is not new: as early as 2021, when he wore Palmeiras’ colors, his brief Instagram Story reviews about authors such as Franz Kafka, George Orwell, or Fyodor Dostoevsky, whom he called the “number 10” on his shelf, went viral among fans.
In an interview with GaloTV, the club’s official television channel, published last Friday, Scarpa promised more recommendations and said that that enthusiasm also permeated the Atlético Mineiro locker room, where several teammates have thanked him for motivating them to read and even began bringing books to accompany physiotherapy sessions.
The 32-year-old, born in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo, said that reading has been “extremely important” in his life, though he admitted that he is often distracted by his cellphone and “short videos.” There is no doubt this project can help a lot of people. It won’t make you smarter, but it is a very healthy habit and infinitely cooler than watching a movie, he told the club’s official channel.
The footballer’s impact quickly spread to fans, such as Carolina Marques, 22, who, inspired by the player’s recommendations, created “Galeitura,” a nod to the club’s nickname, “Galo.” “What if we start a reading club based on Scarpa’s recommendations?”, the young woman posted on her social networks, according to Efe. The response was immediate. The WhatsApp group, formed last Tuesday, reached 300 members on its first day, and the high demand forced a temporary closure of slots to organize the readings. Today, the Instagram account already has more than 50,000 followers.
The opening of the reading club was marked precisely with Tolstoy’s book, whose twelve chapters were divided into a three-week reading plan. Over those days, Galeitura’s Instagram account will share its impressions to interact with the white-and-black supporters, and at the end of the sessions, registrations will open to hold a virtual debate on the work. According to Marques to Efe, the collective is already in contact with Instituto Galo, the club’s social arm, created in 2021, with whom they will work together on a charitable initiative to donate books.