Brazil was once a Portuguese colony, and today, Portuguese remains its sole official language. Given this historical and linguistic connection, it's no surprise that Brazilian footballers dominate Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
Out of 541 players who have featured in the league this season, 102 (18.5%) are Brazilian, averaging 5.67 Brazilians per team, Idman.biz reports.
However, beyond Portugal, Azerbaijani clubs are among the most welcoming to Brazilian players in Europe.
While Azerbaijan lags behind Portugal, the country still ranks high in attracting Brazilian talent. This season, 26 Brazilian nationals have played in the Misli Premier League—placing Azerbaijan sixth in Europe. But when considering the league's size (only 10 teams), the average number of Brazilians per club is 2.6—making Azerbaijan second only to Portugal in this metric.
Among them, Felipe Santos of Araz-Nakhchivan leads in both appearances (25) and goals (9) this season.
Elsewhere in Europe, Bulgaria's top league has 35 Brazilian players, followed by Ukraine (33), England (31), and Russia (30). Among Europe’s "Big Five" leagues, only England has a significant Brazilian presence. The numbers in Spain’s LaLiga (16), Italy’s Serie A (15), France’s Ligue 1 (15), and Germany’s Bundesliga (8) are relatively modest.
In terms of Brazilian players per team, Portugal (5.67) leads, followed by Azerbaijan (2.6) and Bulgaria (2.19).
By these numbers, Azerbaijan has earned its reputation as the Brazil of Europe.
Vugar Mammadov
Idman.biz
