A recent segment on a sports bulletin on Brazilian television neatly captured the excitement — and bafflement — caused by an influx of European players.

It started with a montage of goals scored by Memphis Depay, signed by Corinthians last week in a move that has sent large sections of the Sao Paulo club’s fanbase into delirium. Clips of supporters mimicking the Dutch forward’s trademark fingers-in-ears goal celebration were only a small sample of what can be expected in the months ahead.

Then came images of other players: Denmark international Martin Braithwaite; Maxime Dominguez, a midfielder from Switzerland; French 20-year-old Mohamed El Arouch; the former Norwich City and Newcastle United full-back Jamal Lewis.

All have signed for clubs in Brazil since the end of the 2023-24 European season. The TV segment playfully labelled the rundown a “Tour of Random Gringos”.

This is not even the full extent of it, however. The complete version of the list would also include former France playmaker Dimitri Payet, who has been playing for Vasco da Gama since August 2023, and Tobias Figueiredo, once a Portugal player at youth level and now at Criciuma on loan from Fortaleza. Spaniard Hector Hernandez is a possible strike partner for Depay at Corinthians. There is also Yannick Bolasie, also at Criciuma. He may have played 50 times for DR Congo, but he was born in France and raised in England, making him plenty European enough to count as an import from what Brazilians call the Old Continent.

An historic move for @Jamal_lewis1 🇧🇷🔥

Congratulations to our client Jamal Lewis who has completed a loan move to Brazilian giants @SaoPauloFC ✍️ #SPFC #NUFC pic.twitter.com/DakkLuKHb8

— PLG (@PLG_agency) September 3, 2024

It is an eye-catching trend whichever way you cut it. There have been Europeans in Brazil before — Serbian playmaker Dejan Petkovic is considered a legend at Flamengo and Clarence Seedorf had a memorable late-career spell at Botafogo — but never before have there been so many at once in the modern era. With numbers likely to swell further, it seems an appropriate time to ask the obvious question: what the heck is going on?

For one thing, the laws governing the use of players from outside Brazil have been slackening. Two years ago, clubs could use a maximum of five foreigners in a matchday squad. That was changed to seven in 2023. In March, the clubs in the top division of the Campeonato Brasileiro voted unanimously to raise the cap again, up to nine.

The impact of those alterations has been felt most keenly within South America. Brazil has hoovered up talent from Argentina, Uruguay and its other neighbours for years; now they can really cut loose. Current league leaders Botafogo have six non-Brazilian South Americans in their ranks, as do second-placed Palmeiras. Gremio, the traditional home of many such ‘hermanos’, have nine. The extra leeway, though, has also brought other markets into the equation.

It helps that Brazilian football has, broadly speaking, become more accommodating of outside voices over the last decade. Portuguese coaches Jorge Jesus and Abel Ferreira have enjoyed enormous success, beating a path that many others have followed. The local football federation wanted to break with tradition and appoint Carlo Ancelotti as coach of the men’s national team. Funding from abroad has led to modernisation behind the scenes. It makes sense that these patterns would be replicated on the pitch, too.

It is tempting to see the wave of Europeans as a sign that the Brazilian game is thriving. From afar, one might assume Brazilian clubs have acquired the financial clout to compete for players they would not previously have been able to sign, or the kinds of international scouting networks that would have been anathema to past generations. Maybe recent structural changes — the 2021 law that allowed clubs to become public companies (SAFs), increasing foreign investment, talk of a breakaway league — have moved the Campeonato Brasileiro up in the world.

This, though, would be an incredibly rosy-eyed reading. It would be one thing if these signings were concentrated among clubs who have their act together, but there is no real correlation. Gremio, who signed Braithwaite to replace the departed Luis Suarez in July, are on a solid financial footing, for example, but Corinthians have debts of more than two billion Reais (£278million, $368 million). If Depay cannot help them claw themselves out of the relegation zone in the remaining 12 matches of the season, they face financial ruin.

For Rodrigo Capelo, Brazil’s foremost expert on football finances, the recent spate of European arrivals is nothing to be excited about.

“These recent signings seem much more like a fad than anything strategic or based on structural change in Brazilian football,” he tells The Athletic. “Opportunities have arisen and club owners sensed they would go down well with fans. In the past, they only signed Brazilians or South Americans. Now they also have the chance to sign European players. They look good in photos.”

The comparison between Seedorf and Depay is interesting. Seedorf was 36 and some way past his prime when he joined Botafogo in 2012. Depay is 30 and still a mainstay of the Dutch national team. It would be a stretch to call it a coup, given that none of Europe’s top teams appeared to want him this summer, but it doesn’t feel like nothing.

Depay was keen to paint himself as a kind of envoy from the future at his first Corinthians press conference. “We always come to take the Brazilian talents to Europe because they have something special,” he said. “This league needs a light from the other side. It is time to show its potential. It will happen in the next few years.”

Capelo is not convinced. “It would be positive if this was a true sign that Brazilian football was getting stronger, more profitable, more responsible, more sustainable,” he says. “If that was the truth, it would be cool to pass that message on to the wider world by signing players who were still in demand in the European market, but it’s not the case.

“None of the players here today could find clubs in Europe. It’s interesting that they saw Brazil as an alternative but it doesn’t change our image on the global scene.”

For Capelo, the Seedorf example also serves as a cautionary tale. For all the excitement about that signing, for all that Seedorf proved to be an inspiration on the pitch, the move also symbolised the kind of financial irresponsibility that has so often defined the Brazilian game. When the sponsorship deals and a round of TV bonuses that had funded Seedorf’s arrival dried up, Botafogo were left on the brink of collapse. A year after the Dutchman retired, they were relegated to Serie B.

Seedorf playing for Botafogo in 2013 (Ricardo Ramos/Getty Images)

A decade on, plenty has changed. The rise of SAFs, including Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Fortaleza and Bahia, has been widely credited with bringing in fresh ideas and much-needed investment. The ownership model also tends to shape transfer policy: without presidential elections every few years, there is less temptation for these clubs to go for splashy, big-name signings that might previously have swayed fans in the short term.

Botafogo, for instance, spent heavily this summer, but on players who might reasonably be expected to increase in value. “We spent €20million on Luiz Henrique (from Real Betis), which is no big deal in Europe but was a record fee in Brazil,” John Textor, the owner of the club’s SAF, tells The Athletic. “We then broke it again for Thiago Almada (from Atlanta United). But we think these are investments and we have also invested money in our facilities. When (former Manchester United defender) Alex Telles joined, he told me that our training ground is the best of any club he’s played for.”

These advances have not been universal, however. Capelo, for one, still sees lingering similarities with the Seedorf era. He points to the recent boom in the Brazilian gambling industry, which has brought money into the game but may not be sustainable. “Certain practices still resemble those of the past,” he says.” A lot of clubs are spending money they don’t have.”

You can understand the appeal to the players. Depay is rumoured to be earning around £96,000 ($127,000) a week at Corinthians — not top European wages but hardly to be sniffed at. He will probably be one of the best players in the league. Like Telles, he has been impressed by the facilities at his new club. “The structure here is similar (to that at top European clubs), maybe even better in some respects,” Depay said at his unveiling.

There are also intangibles. The lifestyle available to rich footballers in Brazil will be markedly different to that they might experience in Saudi Arabia, say. There is also the allure of playing in what Depay called “the Mecca of football”, plus the undeniable feeling of adventure to it all.

It is much less clear whether deals like this augur anything good for the league. Bolasie is fast becoming a cult hero for Criciuma but it would be no great surprise if some of the other signings go the same way as Jese and Hugo Mallo, two Spaniards who pitched up last year and made minimal impact. And while not all of the European signings represent huge financial gambles, there does still seem to be an appetite for the outlandish: UEFA Champions League winners Mario Balotelli and Sergio Ramos have been linked with money-spinning moves in the last couple of months.

As for Depay, his contract includes an escape clause if Corinthians are relegated. The deal has largely been funded by one of the club’s sponsors, a betting company.

“These moves aren’t happening because Brazilian football became richer,” says Capelo, “but because there’s still a lot of irresponsibility.”

(Top photo: Memphis Depay training in Sao Paulo; by Nelson Almeida/AFP via Getty Images)

The Cincinnati Reds are about to play their last few games of the 2024 season but will be doing so without David Bell in the dugout.

The Reds fired Bell on Sunday night after the game lost 2-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The loss dropped the Reds to 76-81 on the season.

Cincinnati named bench coach Freddie Benavides the interim manager for the final five games of the season.

“David provided the kind of steadiness that we needed in our clubhouse over the last few seasons. We felt a change was needed to move the Major League team forward. We have not achieved the success we expected, and we need to begin focusing on 2025,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in a news release.

The Reds hired Bell before the start of the 2019 season as he replaced Bryan Price and Jim Riggleman. Price was fired during the 2018 season and Riggleman took over for the rest of that year.

Jul 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell (25) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

WHITE SOX LOSE 120TH GAME TO TIE MLB RECORD BY THE 1962 NEW YORK METS

Bell never led Cincinnati to a better standing than third in the National League Central division. The Reds made the playoffs in the 2020 coronavirus-impacted season but it’s their only playoff appearance since 2013.

Bell is 409-456 as a manager.

Cincinnati has a lot of potential and the organization clearly sees that a new voice might help the team get over the hump. Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz and Andrew Abbott are among the young players leading the charge into the future.

Sep 22, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell (25) reacts after a play in the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. (Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)

The Reds’ offseason will just start a little earlier than every other team.

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The Rams gave away Sean McVay bobbleheads to season-ticket holders Sunday.

The figurines, outfitted with a headset, five o’clock shadow and McVay’s trademark hair spike, could be made to nod up and down, and side to side.

But only the real-life McVay — and his supposedly undermanned team — felt the head-spinning reality of a 27-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium.

“Lot of guts,” McVay said. “Lot of grit.”

With another 49ers-heavy crowd invading a stadium the San Francisco faithful have dubbed Levi’s South, the Rams sent the 49ers back to Northern California with a second consecutive defeat.

Rams running back Kyren Williams scored three touchdowns, quarterback Matthew Stafford engineered two late scoring drives and rookie Joshua Karty kicked the game-winning field goal with two seconds left to complete a dramatic comeback that improved the Rams’ record to 1-2.

Perhaps more importantly, the Rams avoided falling to a postseason-killing 0-3, a hole the organization has not occupied since 2011, when the St. Louis Rams started 0-6 en route to a 2-14 finish.

“These are the games where you bring just a little more juice,” said Williams, who rushed for two touchdowns and somersaulted into the end zone to complete a touchdown pass play. “These are the games you can’t wait to play, when everybody is doubting you and everybody’s, ‘There’s no way the Rams are going to win. The Rams are going to start 0-3 this season.’

“Like Nah. we’re not listening to that stuff.”

Both teams were shorthanded because of injured star players.

Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is out indefinitely and receiver Puka Nacua, offensive linemen Steve Avila, Joe Noteboom and Jonah Jackson and defensive backs Darious Williams and John Johnson III are on injured reserve.

The 49ers were without star running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle.

That set up something of a chess match between McVay and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, McVay’s mentor during their days on the NFL’s Washington staff and his nemesis for most of their eight seasons competing against each other in the NFC West.

The Rams’ victory was only the second in the last 11 regular-season games between the teams.

“It feels really great,” defensive tackle Kobie Turner said, “especially getting that first win versus San Fran.”

The victory was especially sweet for Williams.

After earning a Pro Bowl invitation in 2023, the third-year pro was stifled in losses against the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals but he broke out against a 49ers defense that featured end Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Leonard Floyd.

“I wouldn’t let my guys down the way that the last two weeks went,” said Williams, who rushed for 89 yards in 24 carries and caught two passes for 27 yards. “I wasn’t going to let that happen again this week.”

The Rams also got key performances from players usually cast in supporting roles to the injured stars.

Receiver Tutu Atwell drew a pass-interference penalty for a long gain, and caught a long pass to set up the game-tying touchdown. Xavier Smith, promoted from the practice squad this week, helped set up the game- winning field goal with a 38-yard punt return.

A Rams defense that was dominated by the Cardinals a week earlier enabled Brock Purdy and receiver Jauan Jennings to connect for three touchdowns. The unit held running back Jordan Mason under 100 yards rushing for the first time this season, however, and stopped the 49ers when it counted most to give the ball back to Stafford twice in the final three minutes.

“Whenever you get stops on defense and you got [No.] 9 at quarterback, you got a shot to win the game,” Turner said.

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, the Rams pulled within 24-17 in the fourth after Karty kicked his first field goal.

Shanahan’s decision to have Jake Moody attempt a 55-yard field goal backfired when Moody missed wide left, giving Stafford the ball near midfield.

“Whatever the situation is in the game — up, down, tied, whatever — I try to be the same player,” said Stafford, who completed 16 of 26 passes for 221 yards. “There’s no doubt that down in the fourth quarter with the ball in my hand, I’ve got a little extra, you know, heartbeat going.

“But I’m excited about those opportunities. That’s what I want. I want to be in those moments. I feel the guys on our team know that and hopefully they feed off that.”

Rams receiver Tutu Atwell hauls in a 50-yard pass behind 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward late in the fourth quarter.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Stafford’s 50-yard pass to Atwell set up Williams’ short touchdown run and Karty’s tying extra point.

With less than a minute left, the Rams forced the 49ers to punt. Smith slipped a tackle and then ran up the right sideline in front of the Rams bench to midfield. A pass-interference penalty moved the ball to the 49ers’ 25, and Karty came on after two more plays for the game-winning kick.

Like his bobblehead, McVay gave his team’s effort a fist pump.

“I saw a team respond after a really humbling week last week,” he said. “We’ve got to do a good job of being able to build on this.”