The construction of the so-called Museum of Football will start in Jan. 2007, and its inauguration is scheduled for the first half of 2008, according to authorities of the city of Sao Paulo, local media said yesterday.

The museum will be built next to Pacaembu Stadium, the most traditional football arena in Sao Paulo. The project will receive investments of 25 million reais (11.6 million U.S. dollars).

It plans to be an interactive museum, aimed at describing the influence that football has on Brazils culture.

The ground floor of the three-storey building will be destined to bookstores and other shops. Along the escalators, visitors will follow the evolution of the ball, from the ones made with cord and socks to the latest ones.

A big room will gather the memorabilia of clubs fans: key chains, flags, pins and other objects of which each clubs corner will be comprised. The museum will pay homage to football fans in another room, where, with the aid of wide screens, visitors will get the feeling of being watched from the audience and from the field, as if they were players.

Players will be the theme of a room with glass plates suspended from the ceiling, which will be used as screens to holographic projections of human-size players in unforgettable moments of the history of football. Legends like Pele, Garrincha and Zico will be depicted in the screenings. There will also be the exhibition of the broadcasting of memorable goals.

The museum will also host rooms to explain the origin of the sport and its history, as well as to tell stories about the World Cups and the Brazilian artists who were influenced by football.

(Published by Eastday, December 21, 2006)