Wallyson Ricardo: do início da carreira futebolística ao mágico ano de 2007

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis aims to present conceptual, theoretical, and practical foundations related to the production of a work of journalistic non-fiction, as outlined by Lima (1993). The central subject of the project is the soccer player Wallyson Ricardo. The research focuses on the early stages of the athlete’s career, starting from his time in the youth divisions up to the end of the 2007 season, a period during which he became one of the most iconic figures in the history of ABC Futebol Clube and left a significant mark on soccer in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. To support the investigation, a combination of interviews (Lage, 2001), bibliographic research (Macedo, 1995), and photographic and audiovisual materials (Monego & Guarnieri, 2012) was collected from printed newspaper archives, online news portals, blogs, and video repositories. These sources were complemented by investigative journalism techniques, based on the methodology proposed by Pereira Júnior (2006), and systematic data collection. The theoretical framework is grounded in the study of journalistic non-fiction as a narrative form, drawing on the ideas and reflections of authors such as Lima (1993, 2009), Belo (2006), and Maciel (2017, 2018). The relevance of the research lies in the noticeable lack of journalistic material documenting prominent figures in the sports history of Rio Grande do Norte. The work therefore serves both as a form of historical record and as a tribute to the career of Wallyson Ricardo. The final product is a journalistic non-fiction book that presents previously unpublished and significant episodes, incorporating the athlete’s own account along with testimonial narratives from individuals who accompanied him during the period under analysis.