Following the Ball. Todd Cleveland

       Acknowledgments

      The process of researching and writing this book was extremely enjoyable, at times exciting, and, most importantly, it generated opportunities to interact with athletes, scholars, and others from across the globe. The research commenced in Portugal, and the first stops were, as is often the case, the Biblioteca Nacional and the Torre do Tombo. Staff at both repositories were, as always, professional and helpful. I also conducted research, for the first time, at Portugal’s Ministério da Educação, where the staff were both patient and supportive, as were staff members at the Biblioteca Municipal de Coimbra. While I was based in Portugal, Adriano Cardoso and Luis Fazendeiro proved to be excellent research assistants, and even better travel companions, as we engaged in the process of tracking down, contacting, and journeying—via rental car, ferry, train, taxi, bus, metro, and, of course, on foot—to interview former players and coaches throughout Portugal. My great friend Jorge Varanda participated in this manner as well, and in so many other ways. At various times during my series of research trips to Portugal, Nina Tiesler and Cláudia Castelo provided key insights into various aspects of this history and were otherwise generous with their time and levels of assistance. I was also fortunate to have met Nuno Domingos and Rahul Kumar. Experts in Portuguese football—past and present—they patiently assisted as I slowly grasped the major developments and contours of this fascinating history and provided the type of support that would have suggested we had been lifelong friends. Even as this project concludes, I look forward to ongoing interactions with Nuno and Rahul.

      As the research transitioned to Africa, Gil Filipe and Hélio Maúngue played roles similar to those of Adriano and Luis in Portugal; I am grateful to have worked with both of them. In Maputo, Moira Forjaz introduced me to Paola Rolletta—author of Finta finta—whose knowledge of Mozambican football far outpaces mine, but who demonstrated the same type of patience and assistance that Nuno and Rahul had back in Portugal. While in Mozambique, Dave Morton made a series of key introductions and greatly enhanced the time I spent there, while also making ongoing contributions to the project.

      Others provided support away from my fieldwork sites, including Tom Paradise, who generated the two maps that appear in the book; and Marlino Mubai, who transcribed most of the interviews—a demanding endeavor, as