Jorge Knijnik was born in the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazils southernmost state. He moved to Sao Paulo with his family as a child and began his love for football whilst watching Pele play in the Pacaembu stadium. Jorge writes and researches on a number of topics, including sport in society, culture, and history; gender and human rights in education; physical education pedagogies; drama studies; and fandom culture. Jorges current research examines the socialization process within football fans in Greater Western Sydney and how football fandom has the potential to make a significant contribution to community cohesion and regeneration in the area. He is also involved in a number of projects that examine the political and cultural contradictory legacies of sports mega-events in Brazil. Jorge is an Associate Professor at the Western Sydney University (School of Education and Institute for Culture & Society), and kives in Sydney with his wife and four children, where he enjoys the beautiful beaches and his bike rides-but misses the Brazilian rhythms.
