Brazil has the world’s top-ranked national soccer team and produces a huge number of top-ranked players as well–Ronaldhino just won FIFA’s World Player of the Year, giving Brazilian players six of the last ten–but the state of club play has been, and apparently remains a mess of corruption and danger. The most recent example is the kidnapping (and fortunately safe return 40 days later) of the mother of the next top player headed to Europe, Robhino. Nasty all around and Soccernet’s Dominic Raynor has an interesting column on the current state of affairs: The great escape.