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Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama (), commonly referred as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a professional
sports club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
based in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. Originally a rowing club, Vasco is mostly known for its football team, who it currently competes in the Brasileirão Série A, the top tier of Brazilian football league and in the Cariocão Série A, the top tier of
Rio de Janeiro state Rio de Janeiro () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil. It has the second largest economy of Brazil, with the largest being that of the state of São Paulo. The state, which has 8.2% of the Brazilian population, is responsible for 9.2% of ...
football league. Named Vasco da Gama 400 years after 1498 European-Asian sea route, the club was founded in 21 August 1898 as a rowing club by Brazilian workers and Portuguese immigrants tradesmen, and created it football department in 26 November 1915.
História 1898–1923
' NetVasco.com
Vasco da Gama plays their home matches in São Januário stadium since 1927, and also in Maracanã stadium since 1950. Vasco da Gama is one of the most widely supported teams in Brazil and
the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...
. According to census and polls, Vasco is the fifth-most supported club in Brazil, with more than 15 million supporters. Due to it history of diversity and mobilization, the club became a symbol of
anti-racism Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and deliberate ...
and anti-xenophobia in Brazilian sport. In national football, Vasco da Gama has won 4 Brasileirão, one
Copa do Brasil The Copa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de ...
, 24 Cariocão, and three
Torneio Rio–São Paulo The Torneio Rio – São Paulo ( en, Rio – São Paulo Tournament) was a traditional Brazilian football competition contested between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro teams from 1933 to 1966, in 1993 and from 1997 to 2002. Organized by the state ...
. In international club football, the club has won one
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...
and one
South American Championship of Champions The South American Championship of Champions ( es, Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones, pt, Campeonato Sul-Americano de Campeões) was a football competition played in Santiago, Chile in 1948 and the first continental-wide football tournament in ...
. Vasco da Gama holds many long-standings rivalries, most notably the ''
Clássico dos Milhões ''Clássico dos Milhões'' (meaning "Derby of Millions") is the name of the soccer Brazilian derby between Flamengo and Vasco da Gama, both from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Considered as one of the most fiercely contested derbies in Brazilian fo ...
'' with
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
, a club rivalry original of rowing in 1900s and extended to football in 1920s.


History


Foundation

In the late 19th century,
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...
was the most important sport in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
. At this time, four young men – Henrique Ferreira Monteiro, Luís Antônio Rodrigues, José Alexandre d'Avelar Rodrigues and Manuel Teixeira de Souza Júnior – who did not want to travel to
Niterói Niterói (, ) is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality of the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro in the Southeast Region, Brazil, southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay facing the city of Rio de Janeiro and forms ...
to row with the boats of Gragoatá Club, decided to found a rowing club. On August 21, 1898, in a room of the ''Sons of Talma Dramatic Society'', 62 members (mostly Portuguese immigrants) formed the Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Rowing Club). Inspired by the celebrations of the 4th centenary of the first sail from Europe to India, the founders named the club in honor of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. The emblem was created shortly after. The diagonal slash in the emblem represents the route that the victorious route the Portuguese explorer took, and the cross symbolizes the
Christian faith Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popul ...
. On November 26, 1915, Vasco and Lusitania Sport Clube merged, resulting in the creation of Vasco's footballing department. Beginning in the lower leagues, the club's first match was played on May 3, 1916; a 10–1 loss to Paladino FC. Vasco became champion of the Carioca Serie B in 1922 and ascended to Serie A. Vasco won its first top-division title with the 1923 Campeonato Carioca, becoming champion with a team including whites, blacks and "mulatto" players of different social classes.


1920s: Overcoming social & class inequality

During the 1920s, football in Brazil was a sport for the elites, and Vasco da Gama's racially diverse squad didn't appease them. Some players were required to take a literacy exam before putting on their boots. In 1924 Vasco da Gama was pressured by the Metropolitan League to ban some players who were not considered adequate to play in the aristocratic league, notably because they were black or mulato and/or poor. After Vasco refused to comply with such a ban, the other big teams, including
Fluminense Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, th ...
,
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
and
Botafogo Botafogo (local/standard alternative Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a beachfront neighborhood ('' bairro'') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of ...
created the Metropolitan Athletic Association and prohibited Vasco from participating unless it complied with their racist demands. As a result, The former President of Vasco, José Augusto Prestes, responded with a letter that became known as the Historic Response (''Resposta Histórica''), which revolutionized the practice of sports in Brazil. After a few years, the racism barriers fell, and Vasco became known as "Clube de todas as razas" (Club of all races).The club had led the move toward a more inclusive football culture, forward-thinking not employed by leaders from other Rio-based clubs like Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo. Even though the club was not the first to field black players, it was the first one to win a league with them, which led to an outcry to ban "blue-collar workers" from playing in the league—a move that in practice meant barring blacks from playing. In 1925 Vasco was readmitted into the "elite" league, with its black and mulatto players. By 1933, when football became professional in Brazil, most of the big clubs had black players. On April 21, 1927, Vasco's Stadium was inaugurated with a match against Santos. Santos won the match 5–3. On April 26, 1931, Vasco had a historic 7–0 victory over rivals Flamengo; this is the largest victory margin between the two clubs.


''Expresso da Vitória'' (1944–53)

Between 1944 and 1953, the club was nicknamed ''Expresso da Vitória'' (Victory Express), as Vasco won several competitions in that period, such as the Rio de Janeiro championship in 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1952, and the
South American Club Championship South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
, the world's first ever continental club tournament, in 1948. In 1953, Vasco da Gama won its first intercontinental trophy, the Torneio Intercontinental Octogonal Rivadavia Correa Meyer. Players such as
Ademir de Menezes Ademir Marques de Menezes (; 8 November 1922 – 11 May 1996) was a Brazilian footballer, regarded as one of the best forwards in football history. His prominent underbite earned him the nickname "Queixada", which means "jaw". He was also the ...
,
Moacyr Barbosa Moacir Barbosa do Nascimento (27 March 1921 – 7 April 2000) was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. His career spanned 22 years. He was regarded as one of the world's best goalkeepers in the 1940s and 1950s, and w ...
, Bellini and Ipojucan starred in Vasco's colors during that period.


The Super-Superchampions Generation (1956–59)

In 1956, the Vascaínos became Rio de Janeiro champions and Little World Cup runner-up, losing the title to Di Stefano's Real Madrid, which Vasco would beat in a friendly shortly after the end of the tournament, becoming the first non-european club to defeat a European Champion. In 1957, this generation toured Europe and won 10 consecutive matches, including yet another victory against European champion Real Madrid (4–3) on 14 June, which sealed the Paris Tournament title - this match was the first ever, at a competitive level, between two continental champions. It also was the only international tournament Real didn’t win between 1955 and 1960. Vasco would also beat Athletic Bilbao (champion of the Spanish League and Cup in the previous year) by winning the traditional
Teresa Herrera Trophy The Teresa Herrera Trophy ( es, Trofeo Teresa Herrera) is an annual pre-season football tournament hosted by Deportivo La Coruña at the Estadio Riazor. Established in 1946, it is the third oldest professional football tournament in Spain (behind ...
with a 4–2 scoreline, and
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
(champion of the Spanish Cup a week earlier) inside Les Corts, with a historic scoreline of 2–7, the second worst defeat ever suffered at home by the Catalan team, and largest in international matches. Benfica (Portuguese champion and
Latin Cup The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Southwest European nations of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and requested FIFA to launch the competition. Europ ...
runner-up) was also a victim of Vasco on this tour, losing to the Brazilian club with another impressive result, 5–2, in Lisbon on 30 June 1957. In early 1958, just before the
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
, Vasco won the Rio-São Paulo Tournament, the most important championship in Brazil at the time, which in this edition included teams such as Santos of Pelé, Botafogo of Garrincha, Flamengo of Zagallo and Fluminense of Telê Santana. After this memorable title, three Vasco players had important parts in the campaign for the first Brazil World Cup title:
Vavá Edvaldo Izidio Neto (12 November 1934 – 19 January 2002), commonly known as Vavá, was a Brazilian footballer who is widely considered one of the best strikers of his generation. His nickname was "Peito de Aço" (Steel Chest). He played as a ...
(who scored five goals in the World Cup, including two in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
) and defenders
Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
and Bellini (the best defending pair of the tournament, Bellini was still the brazilian captain). After the World Cup, the team then won the greatest Carioca Championship of all time. In an epic competition against Flamengo of Zagallo and Botafogo of Garrincha and Nilton Santos (it needed two extra tiebreaker tournaments to decide the champion), Vasco became the carioca " super-superchampion" of 1958. In 1959, the team went on to beat great European teams like Italian champion
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and Atletico de Madrid ( European Cup semi-finalist on that year) in the Metropolitano. Vasco was also Rio-São Tournament runner-up this year, only behind Santos of Pelé. Still in 1959, five Vasco players were called up for the 1959 Copa America:
Paulinho Paulinho is a Portuguese nickname for people named ''Paulo'' (Paulo -inho, little Paulo). People known as Paulinho include: Music *Paulinho da Costa (born 1948), Brazilian percussionist *Paulinho da Viola (born 1942), Brazilian sambista *Paulinho ...
,
Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
, Bellini, Coronel (defenders) and Almir (striker). Brazil would end the tournament unbeaten (four wins and two draws) with the four aforementioned Vasco players almost always being included in the starting eleven. Despite the good campaign, Argentina would keep the title, after ending the tournament with an extra victory. Vasco, together with Botafogo, was the club that gave the most players to the Brazilian national team in that period. Most football lovers think this Vasco was one of the best clubs of the world at the time, and maybe the best in 1957–58.


1970s: First League Title

In the 1965 Campeonato Brasileiro, Vasco da Gama reached the league's final and were very close to winning its first league title, but lost to Pele's Santos 1-6 on aggregate. In 1970, under star players
Roberto Dinamite Carlos Roberto de Oliveira, known as Roberto Dinamite (born 13 April 1954) is a Brazilian former footballer and politician. He was born in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state. With a career as centre forward spanning over twenty years, Rober ...
and
Edgardo Andrada Edgardo Norberto Andrada (2 January 1939 – 4 September 2019) was an Argentine footballer who played as a goalkeeper for several top level Argentine and Brazilian clubs. Career Born in Rosario, Santa Fe province, Edgardo Andrada initially tri ...
, Vasco won the regional title for the first time in 12 years. In 1974, they won their first league title, with Roberto Dinamite as the top scorer. In addition, they became the first team from Rio to win the league. Cruzeiro and Vasco had ended the season with the same number of points, meaning that a second match had to be played; Vasco later beat Cruzeiro 2–1 and wonc the title.


1997–2000: Second Golden era

After winning the Campeonato Brasileiro in 1997, beating
Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
in the final, Vasco started its ''
Projeto Tóquio The Projeto Tóquio (''Tokyo Project'') is a Portuguese language term traditionally used by Brazilian media and clubs' staff and supporters in the context of winning or attempting to win the Copa Libertadores football (soccer) competition and the ...
'', and invested US$10 million to win the 1998 Copa Libertadores. Vasco da Gama won the Copa Libertadores in its Centenary Year, beating
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
of
Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
in the
finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
4–1 on aggregate, and 50 years after winning its first South American trophy (
South American Championship of Champions The South American Championship of Champions ( es, Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones, pt, Campeonato Sul-Americano de Campeões) was a football competition played in Santiago, Chile in 1948 and the first continental-wide football tournament in ...
). By winning the Copa Libertadores title, Vasco da Gama faced the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League winners
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
at the 1998 Intercontinental Cup, in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, losing 2–1. As a result of their Copa Libertadores title two years prior, Vasco entered the inaugural 2000 FIFA Club World Championship held in Brazil. They beat Manchester United of England, Necaxa of Mexico, and
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at ...
of Australia in the group stage to reach the final. It finished 0–0 after extra time in an all-Brazilian clash with
Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
, but Vasco lost 3–4 in the penalty shootout. Also in 2000, Vasco won the
Copa Mercosur The Copa Mercosur (, pt, Copa Mercosul , "Mercosur Cup") was a football competition played from 1998 to 2001 by the traditional top clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. The competition was created by CONMEBOL to generate TV m ...
against
Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
in a historic match on December 20, 2000. Typically the finals are played over two legs, but a third match would be needed if a different team won each leg. This ended up being the case; Vasco had won the first leg 2–0, but Palmeiras won the second leg 1–0 six days later. Trailing 3–0 at the end of first-half, with Palmeiras scoring 2 goals in less than a minute, Vasco managed to score 3 goals to level the match at 3–3 with five minutes remaining, while playing with 10 men after
Júnior Baiano Raimundo Ferreira Ramos Júnior (born 14 March 1970), known as Júnior or Júnior Baiano as he comes from the state of Bahia, is a former Brazilian professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Club career Born in Feira de Santana, Jú ...
got a red card in the 77th minute. In the 93rd minute, Romário scored a decisive goal and Vasco won the match 4–3. The match is still considered one of the best games in Brazilian history. Vasco won the
Copa João Havelange The 2000 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (officially the Copa João Havelange) was the 44th edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. Due to legal complications, the championship was organized ...
in 2000. Seen as a controversial competition organized by
Clube dos 13 Clube dos 13 (Club of the 13) was the organization responsible for representing the interest of the most powerful football clubs of Brazil, including members from several football state federations such as Federação Paulista de Futebol, Federaç ...
rather than CBF, Vasco played São Caetano in the
finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. The club drew the first game 1–1 at Estádio Palestra Itália, and the second game was called off by Rio de Janeiro State Governor
Anthony Garotinho Anthony William Matheus de Oliveira (born 18 April 1960), also known as Anthony Garotinho, is a Brazilian politician, radio broadcaster and convicted felon. He legally adopted his stage name "Garotinho" (Little Boy in Portuguese), originally a n ...
in the first half because a fence collapsed at
São Januário SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U. ...
Stadium, which resulted in the injuries of many fans. Despite the disaster, Vasco won the rescheduled second leg 3–1 to lift the trophy.


2001–2008: Decline

After winning the Copa Mercosul in 2000, the club experienced a sharp decline, narrowly avoiding relegation in 2003 and 2004, although in 2005 they qualified for the 2006 Copa Sudamericana with a 12th placed finish. Vasco's 2006 season was decent, finishing sixth in the league and gaining qualification for the following years Sudamericana, as well as reaching the Copa do Brasil final for the first time, losing to Flamengo.


2008: First ever Relegation

The team finished the 2008 Série A in a disastrous 18th place and was relegated to the
second division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
for the first time since its foundation after a 0–2 home loss against EC Vitória. Until then, it had been one of only six clubs to have never been relegated from the first division, along with Cruzeiro,
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
, Santos and
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. (The last two didn't participate in the 1979 Brazilian Championship, in order to avoid conflicts with Paulista Championship schedule.) Vasco immediately secured their return to Serie A, sealing promotion to the 2010 Série A on 7 November 2009 with a 2–1 victory over Juventude in front of a Serie B-record 81,000 fans at Maracanã, and finishing as Serie B champions as well.


2010–2012: Copa do Brasil title, Return to Copa Libertadores

In the 2010 league season, their first season back in the top flight since relegation, Vasco finished in 11th place, and qualified for the
2011 Copa Sudamericana The 2011 Copa Sudamericana de Clubes (officially the 2011 Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes for sponsorship reasons) was the 10th edition of the Copa Sudamericana, South America's secondary international club football tournament organize ...
. In the
2010 Copa do Brasil The 2010 Copa do Brasil was the 22nd edition of the Copa do Brasil, starting on February 10 and ended on August 4. It was contested by 64 clubs, either qualified through their respective state championships (54) or by the CBF Rankings (10). Clubs ...
, the team reached the quarterfinals, being eliminated by Vitoria on away goals.


2011: The Redemption Year

Vasco beat
Coritiba Coritiba Foot Ball Club, commonly known as Coritiba and colloquially referred to as "Coxa-Branca" or "Coxa", is a Brazilian football club from Curitiba, capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest f ...
on away goals in the 2011 Copa do Brasil finals, and lifted the trophy for the first time in the club's history. In the Série A, Vasco enjoyed an excellent campaign, finishing only 2 points behind Corinthians. A win on the last matchday would've given them the title, as Corinthians drew their match, but Flamengo held Vasco to a draw. The club also ended the year as semifinalists in the
Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, named as ''Copa Sudamericana'' (; pt, Copa Sul-Americana ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club competition in South American ...
, a competition that saw the club defeat
Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
,
Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
and Universitario in historic fashion before being eliminated by eventual champion
Universidad de Chile The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843.
on away goals. The season was dubbed as ''"Vasco's Redemption Year"'', with many lauding Vasco as one of
Brazilian football Football is the most popular sport in Brazil and a prominent part of the country’s national identity. The Brazil national football team has won the FIFA World Cup five times, the most of any team, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Brazil an ...
's elite teams once again.


2012: Return to Copa Libertadores

Vasco's played their first final of 2012 in the Taca Guanabara, losing 1–3 to Fluminense after eliminating Flamengo in the semifinals. Two months later, they were playing a final again, this time losing to Botafogo in the Taca Rio, eliminating Flamengo in the semifinals again. Vasco qualified for the 2012 Copa Libertadores as Brazilian Cup champion, marking a return to the top South American competition after 12 years. In the group stage, Vasco finished second tied with Libertad on points and only losing once. Vasco beat
Lanús Lanús () is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The city has a population of 212,152 (), and the Partido de Lan� ...
on penalties in the round of 16, to set a quarterfinal matchup with Corinthians, who eliminated Vasco 1–0 with an 88th-minute goal. In the Brazilian Championship, the team set the record for 54 consecutive rounds in the top 4 (continuing from the 2011 and 2012 seasons), although they ultimately finished in fifth and missed out on qualifying for the Libertadores the following year due to poor form, losing six of their last ten games.


2013–present: More relegations


2013: Second-ever Relegation

After a good season in 2012, Vasco started their 2013 poorly and were hampered by financial issues. In the Taca Rio, the club had a terrible campaign and finished seventh of eight in the table. By the end of the year, the club had been relegated for the second time in 5 years and just the second time in their history, which was secured with a 5–1 defeat to
Atletico Paranaense Club Athletico Paranaense (commonly known as Athletico and formerly known as Atlético Paranaense) is a Brazilian football team from the city of Curitiba, capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná, founded on March 26, 1924. The team ...
on the final matchday. In the
Copa do Brasil The Copa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de ...
the team entered in the round of 16, beating
Nacional Nacional, the Portuguese and Spanish word for "national", may refer to: Airlines * Nacional Transportes Aéreos, a Brazilian airline defunct in 2002 * Transportes Aéreos Nacional, a Brazilian airline defunct in 1961 Bank * Banco Nacional, a ...
and then being eliminated by
Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goiânia. ...
on away goals, despite winning the second leg 3–2. After one season in the Série B during 2014, the team gained promotion, and in May 2015, won the
Campeonato Carioca The Campeonato Carioca (Carioca Championship), officially known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (Port., Rio de Janeiro State Championship), was started in 1906 and is the annual football championship in the state of Rio de Janeiro, B ...
after a 12-year drought. However, they were relegated again in the 2015 edition, placing eighteenth, although they became back-to-back Carioca champions by winning the tournament in 2016 as well. Once again, they were promoted after one season in the B-level league, and in the 2020 season they were relegated for the fourth time and, for the first time, spent two consecutive seasons in the second division as they failed to be promoted during the 2021 season, placing tenth.


2022: 777 Partners

On 22 February, 2022 it was announced that 777 Partners, a Miami-based private investment firm founded by Steven W. Pasko and Josh Wander, bought a controlling stake in Vasco da Gama. According to the terms of the deal, 777 Partners acquired a 70% stake in the club which was valued at approximately $330 million. On 6 November 2022, Vasco sealed their return to Série A, after a two-year absence.


Supporters

According to census and polls, Vasco da Gama is the second most supported football club in Rio de Janeiro state, and varies between the third and fifth most supported football club in Brazil. Vasco fans are very diverse stretching across social class lines, however the core of most Vasco support lies within the working class of the Northern Zone of Rio de Janeiro and Rio outskirt cities like
Niterói Niterói (, ) is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality of the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro in the Southeast Region, Brazil, southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay facing the city of Rio de Janeiro and forms ...
. Vasco da Gama have significant support in other regions in Brazil, notably the
Northeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
and
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...
regions as well as strongholds in southern Minas Gerais,
Espirito Santo ''Espirito'' (Brazilian for "Spirit") is the second album by Lawson Rollins. Rollins composed all of the music and co-produced the album with Persian-American musician and producer Shahin Shahida (of Shahin & Sepehr) and multi-platinum producer Do ...
and in Santa Catarina. Vasco also have a huge support in
Distrito Federal A federal district is a type of administrative division of a federation, usually under the direct control of a federal government and organized sometimes with a single municipal body. Federal districts often include capital districts, and they ...
; a study conducted by
TV Globo TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air Television broadcasting, television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Gr ...
concluded that Vasco were the second-most supported team in the city, behind Flamengo. Vasco da Gama have many celebrity supporters, including Pelé,
Fátima Bernardes Fátima Gomes Bernardes (born 17 September 1962) is a Brazilian journalist and TV host. She joined Rede Globo in 1987 as the host of RJTV, the regional news from Rio de Janeiro and became widely known in 1989 when she hosted ''Jornal da Globo'', ...
(journalist –
TV Globo TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air Television broadcasting, television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Gr ...
),
Rodrigo Santoro Rodrigo Junqueira Reis Santoro (; born 22 August 1975) is a Brazilian actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Persian King Xerxes in the movie ''300'' (2006) and its sequel '' 300: Rise of an Empire'' (2014). Other famous movies include ' ...
(actor),
Murilo Rosa Murilo Araújo Rosa (born 21 August 1970) is a Brazilian actor. Personal life Married to Brazilian supermodel Fernanda Tavares on July 28, 2007, at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, in Goiás, the same church that his grandparents and his paren ...
(actor),
Juliana Paes Juliana Couto Paes (born 26 March 1979) is a Brazilian actress and former model. She became nationally known in telenovelas and modelling. She also starred a local version of the musical ''The Producers'', as Ulla. Career An actress, model ...
(actress),
Paulinho da Viola Paulinho da Viola (born Paulo César Batista de Faria on 12 November 1942) () is a Brazilian '' sambista'', singer-songwriter, guitar, cavaquinho and mandolin player, known for his sophisticated harmonies and soft, gentle singing voice. Biograph ...
(singer),
Roberto Carlos Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha (born 10 April 1973), commonly known as Roberto Carlos, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who now works as a football ambassador. He started his career in Brazil as a forward but spent most of his car ...
(singer),
Erasmo Carlos Erasmo Carlos (born Erasmo Esteves; 5 June 1941 – 22 November 2022) was a Brazilian singer and songwriter, most closely associated with his friend and longtime collaborator Roberto Carlos (no relation). Together, they created many chart hits ...
(singer),
Martinho da Vila Martinho da Vila (born February 12, 1938) is a Brazilian singer and composer who is considered to be one of the main representatives of samba and MPB. He is a prolific songwriter, with hundreds of recorded songs across over 40 solo albums. He ...
(singer),
Fernanda Abreu Fernanda Abreu (born September 8, 1961) is a Brazilian singer. Biography Fernanda was born and raised in a middle-class family of the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Her first notable public appearance was the backing vocal of the band Blitz until ...
(singer), Viviane Araújo (model),
Paulo Coelho Paulo Coelho de Souza (, ; born 24 August 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His novel ''The Alchemist'' became an international best-seller and he has published 28 more books ...
(writer),
Whindersson Nunes Whindersson Nunes Batista (born 5 January 1995) is a Brazilian comedian and YouTuber known for his comedy videos since 2013. In October 2016, his YouTube channel ''whinderssonnunes'' became the most subscribed in Brazil, but it was eventual ...
(comedian), Teresa Cristina (singer), Sergio Cabral Filho (
Rio de Janeiro State Rio de Janeiro () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil. It has the second largest economy of Brazil, with the largest being that of the state of São Paulo. The state, which has 8.2% of the Brazilian population, is responsible for 9.2% of ...
former governor),
Eduardo Paes Eduardo da Costa Paes (, born 14 November 1969) is a Brazilian politician who was the mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro from 2009 to 2012, re-elected for a second term from 2013 to 2016 and returning elected again in 2021. He is currently t ...
(
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
mayor),
Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (, born 17 August 1952) is a Brazilian retired racing driver and businessman. Since his retirement, Piquet, a three-time World Champion, has been ranked among the greatest Formula One (F1) drivers in various motorspo ...
( Formula 1 former champion), amongst others. Vasco da Gama's '' torcidas organizadas'' have a strong friendship with ''torcidas organizadas'' of
Atlético Mineiro Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to: Sports Teams Athletico *Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy *Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic Cl ...
,
Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
, Grêmio and
Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...
. This alliance, having the 25 year friendship of torcidas ''Força Jovem Vasco'', ''Mancha Verde do Palmeiras'' and ''Galoucura do Atlético Mineiro'', utilize the code name ''D.P.A. – Dedos Para o Alto''. *Torcida Força Jovem Vasco * Guerreiros do Almirante *Torcida Organizada do Vasco *Kamikazes Vascaínos *Pequenos Vascaínos *Renovascão Vasco Campeão *ResenVasco *VasBoaVista *União Vascaína *Ira Jovem Vasco *Torcida Expresso da Vitória


Other sports

Although best known as a football, rowing and swimming club, Vasco da Gama is actually a comprehensive sports club. Its basketball section, CR Vasco da Gama Basquete (three times Brazilian Champion and four times South-American Champion) produced current NBA player
Nenê Nenê (; born Maybyner Rodney Hilário; September 13, 1982) is a Brazilian former professional basketball player. Known previously as Nenê Hilario, he legally changed his name to simply Nenê in 2003. Early life Born Maybyner Rodney Hilário i ...
. The club is also the first Brazilian club to play against an NBA team, against
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
, in 1999, in the
McDonald's Championship The McDonald's Championship (sometimes called the McDonald's Open) was an international men's professional basketball club cup competition that featured a representative of the National Basketball Association (representing North America) agains ...
final. Its rowing team is one of the best of Brazil and of the continent, which swimmers regularly represent Brazil in international competitions. Vasco da Gama also has a four-times National Champion women's soccer team as well. Vasco's beach soccer team is one of the best in the world, being once World Champion, three times South-American Champion and many times National Champion. In addition to these, Vasco has many other sports with World, South American and Brazilian titles.


Players


First team squad


Youth academy


Out on loan


Management hierarchy and Technical Staff


Honours


Others

* Copa Rio (2): 1992, 1993 *
Taça Guanabara The Taça Guanabara, or Guanabara Cup, is a football tournament organized annually since 1965 by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation. In its first four editions (1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968), the Taça Guanabara was a tournament in its o ...
(12): 1976, 1977, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2016, 2019 *
Taça Rio Taça Rio, or Rio Trophy, is an annual Rio de Janeiro football tournament. It is the second stage competition of the Campeonato Carioca, the state football championship in Rio de Janeiro. It has been organized since 1982 by the Rio de Janeiro ...
(11): 1984, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2017, 2021 * Torneio Municipal do Rio de Janeiro (4): 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947 * Other Rio de Janeiro state Championships (9): 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1997 * Taça dos Campeões Rio de Janeiro – São Paulo: 1936 *
Tournoi de Paris The Tournoi de Paris, also known as Trophée de Paris, was a pre-season association football invitational competition hosted by French club Paris Saint-Germain at their home ground Parc des Princes in Paris, France. The competition was founded in ...
: 1957 *
Teresa Herrera Trophy The Teresa Herrera Trophy ( es, Trofeo Teresa Herrera) is an annual pre-season football tournament hosted by Deportivo La Coruña at the Estadio Riazor. Established in 1946, it is the third oldest professional football tournament in Spain (behind ...
: 1957 * Trofeo Ciudad de Sevilla: 1979 * Festa d'Elx Trophy: 1979 *
Colombino Trophy Trofeo Colombino was a summer football tournament hosted annually by Recreativo de Huelva at their home ground Estadio Nuevo Colombino, Nuevo Colombino in Huelva, Spain. The tournament is held in honor of Recre's position as the oldest surviving Spa ...
: 1980 *
Ramón de Carranza Trophy The Ramón de Carranza Trophy ( es, Trofeo Ramón de Carranza) is a pre-season football tournament organised by Cádiz City Hall, in memory of its former mayor, Ramón de Carranza – after whom the Cádiz F.C. stadium used to be named as well ...
(3): 1987, 1988, 1989 * Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy: 1993 * Trofeo Ciudad de Zaragoza: 1993 * City of Palma de Mallorca Trophy: 1995 * Torneio Inicio (10): 1926, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1942, 1944, 1945 * Torneio Relâmpago (2): 1944, 1946 ..;Copa Ouro Los Angeles de Futebol de 1987 * Torneio Extra (2): 1973, 1990


Statistics

Explanation:


Former head coaches

*
Ramón Platero Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name * Ramon (footballer, born 1998), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1990), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (singer), Spanish singer who represented Spain in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest ...
(1922–1926) * "Harry" Welfare (1927–1937) * Floriano Peixoto Corrêa (1937–1938) * Russinho (1938) *
Carlos Scarone Carlos Scarone (10 November 1888 – 12 May 1965) was a Uruguayan footballer who played as forward. Despite he played in several clubs of Argentina and Uruguay, Scarone is mostly known for his tenure on Nacional, where he stayed nine years, sco ...
(1938–1939) *
Ramón Platero Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name * Ramon (footballer, born 1998), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1990), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (singer), Spanish singer who represented Spain in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest ...
(1939–1940) *
Gentil Cardoso Gentil may refer to: People: * Jean-Paul Alaux, called Gentil, French landscape painter and lithographer *Émile Gentil, a French colonial administrator *Guillaume Le Gentil, a French astronomer * Jean-François Gentil, a French colonial officer * ...
(1940) * "Harry" Welfare (1940–1942) * Telêmaco Frazão de Lima (1942) * "Harry" Welfare (1942–1943) *
Ondino Viera Ondino Leonel Viera Palasérez (10 September 1901 – 27 June 1997), in Brazil also known as ''Ondino Vieira'', was a Uruguayan football manager. He was the first coach to use a 4-2-4 in Brazil. In his long-lasting career he won between the ...
(1943–1946) * Ernesto Santos (1946) * Roque Calocero (1946–1947) *
Otto Glória Otto Martins Glória (9 January 1917 – 4 September 1986) was a Brazilian football coach. Career Glória was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had his greatest successes with Benfica in Portugal, guiding the club to nine national trophies. ...
(1947) *
Flávio Costa Flávio Rodrigues da Costa (14 September 1906 – 22 November 1999) was a Brazilian football player and manager. He managed the Rio de Janeiro clubs Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, as well as Colo Colo of Chile, and FC Porto of Portugal. Co ...
(1947–1951) *
Otto Glória Otto Martins Glória (9 January 1917 – 4 September 1986) was a Brazilian football coach. Career Glória was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had his greatest successes with Benfica in Portugal, guiding the club to nine national trophies. ...
(1951–1952) *
Gentil Cardoso Gentil may refer to: People: * Jean-Paul Alaux, called Gentil, French landscape painter and lithographer *Émile Gentil, a French colonial administrator *Guillaume Le Gentil, a French astronomer * Jean-François Gentil, a French colonial officer * ...
(1952–1953) *
Flávio Costa Flávio Rodrigues da Costa (14 September 1906 – 22 November 1999) was a Brazilian football player and manager. He managed the Rio de Janeiro clubs Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, as well as Colo Colo of Chile, and FC Porto of Portugal. Co ...
(1953–56) * Martim Francisco (1956–1957) * Gradim (1957–1959) *
Yustrich Dorival Knippel (September 28, 1917 – February 15, 1990), nicknamed Yustrich, was a Brazilian goalkeeper of the 1930s and 1940s. His nickname was a reference to fellow goalkeeper Juan Elías Yustrich, then of Boca Juniors, who he was said to r ...
(1959–60) * Ely (1960) * Filpo Núñez (1960) * Ely (1960) * Abel Picabea (1960–1961) * Martim Francisco (1961) * Ely (1961) * Paulo Amaral (1961–62) * Jorge Vieira (1962–1963) *
Otto Glória Otto Martins Glória (9 January 1917 – 4 September 1986) was a Brazilian football coach. Career Glória was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had his greatest successes with Benfica in Portugal, guiding the club to nine national trophies. ...
(1963) * Eduardo Pelegrini (1963) * Duque (1964) * Ely (1964) *
Zezé Moreira Alfredo Moreira Júnior (16 October 1917 – 10 April 1998), usually known as Zezé Moreira, was a Brazilian football player and manager who coached Brazil at the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He has the most coaching appearances in Fluminense's history ...
(1965–1966) * Ely (1966) *
Zizinho Thomaz Soares da Silva, also known as Zizinho (; 14 September 1921 – 8 February 2002), was a Brazilian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for the Brazil national football team. He came to international prominence at the 19 ...
(1967) *
Gentil Cardoso Gentil may refer to: People: * Jean-Paul Alaux, called Gentil, French landscape painter and lithographer *Émile Gentil, a French colonial administrator *Guillaume Le Gentil, a French astronomer * Jean-François Gentil, a French colonial officer * ...
(1967) * Ademir (1967) *
Paulinho Paulinho is a Portuguese nickname for people named ''Paulo'' (Paulo -inho, little Paulo). People known as Paulinho include: Music *Paulinho da Costa (born 1948), Brazilian percussionist *Paulinho da Viola (born 1942), Brazilian sambista *Paulinho ...
(1968) *
Pinga In Inuit religion, Pinga ("the one who is p onhigh") is a goddess of the hunt and medicine. She is heavily associated with the sky. Caribou Inuit tradition In Caribou Inuit communities, Pinga had some authority over caribou herds. She became a ...
(1968–1969) *
Evaristo de Macedo Evaristo de Macedo Filho, (born 22 June 1933, in Rio de Janeiro), known simply as Evaristo, is a Brazilian former footballer and coach. Club career Madureira (1950–1952) Raised in the north of Rio de Janeiro, Evaristo, like many children, play ...
(1969) *
Paulinho Paulinho is a Portuguese nickname for people named ''Paulo'' (Paulo -inho, little Paulo). People known as Paulinho include: Music *Paulinho da Costa (born 1948), Brazilian percussionist *Paulinho da Viola (born 1942), Brazilian sambista *Paulinho ...
(1969) * Célio de Souza (1969) * Tim (1970) * Paulo Amaral (1971) * Admildo Chirol (1971) *
Zizinho Thomaz Soares da Silva, also known as Zizinho (; 14 September 1921 – 8 February 2002), was a Brazilian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for the Brazil national football team. He came to international prominence at the 19 ...
(1972) * Célio de Souza (1972) *
Mário Travaglini Mário Travaglini (30 April 1932 – 20 February 2014) was a Brazilian football manager and former player who played as a central defender. Playing career Born in Bom Retiro, São Paulo, Travaglini joined Clube Atlético Ypiranga's youth setup ...
(1972–75) * Paulo Emilio (1976) * Orlando Fantoni (1977–78) * Carlos Froner (1979) * Gílson Nuñes (1979) *
Otto Glória Otto Martins Glória (9 January 1917 – 4 September 1986) was a Brazilian football coach. Career Glória was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had his greatest successes with Benfica in Portugal, guiding the club to nine national trophies. ...
(1979) * Orlando Fantoni (1980) * Gílson Nuñes (1980) *
Mário Zagallo Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo (; born 9 August 1931) is a Brazilian former professional football player, coordinator and manager, who played as a forward. Zagallo holds the record for World Cup titles in general with four titles in total. He was ...
(1980–81) *
Antônio Lopes Antônio Lopes dos Santos, usually known as Antônio Lopes (born June 12, 1941) is a Brazilian football head coach and former footballer. Before being a football head coach, he worked as a chief police officer in Rio de Janeiro city. Antôni ...
(1981–83) * Zanata (1983) *
Júlio César Leal Júlio César Leal Junior (born April 13, 1951 in Itajuba, Brazil) is an association football manager. Leal has coached clubs in Kuwait, Brazil, Japan, United States and South Africa. He parted ways with Orlando Pirates Orlando Pirates ...
(1983) *
Otto Glória Otto Martins Glória (9 January 1917 – 4 September 1986) was a Brazilian football coach. Career Glória was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had his greatest successes with Benfica in Portugal, guiding the club to nine national trophies. ...
(1983) *
Júlio César Leal Júlio César Leal Junior (born April 13, 1951 in Itajuba, Brazil) is an association football manager. Leal has coached clubs in Kuwait, Brazil, Japan, United States and South Africa. He parted ways with Orlando Pirates Orlando Pirates ...
(1983) * Edu Coimbra (1984–1885) *
Antônio Lopes Antônio Lopes dos Santos, usually known as Antônio Lopes (born June 12, 1941) is a Brazilian football head coach and former footballer. Before being a football head coach, he worked as a chief police officer in Rio de Janeiro city. Antôni ...
(1985–1886) * Cláudio Garcia (1986) * Joel Santana (1986–1887) *
Sebastião Lazaroni Sebastião Barroso Lazaroni, (born 25 September 1950) is a Brazilian football manager who last coached Qatar Stars League club Qatar SC. He was born in Muriaé, Minas Gerais state. He is well known in Brazil as the manager who tried to intr ...
(1987–1888) * Zanata (1988–1889) * Orlando Lelé (1989) * Sérgio Cosme (1989) * Alcir Portela (1990) *
Nelsinho Rosa Nélson Rosa Martins (born 8 December 1937), known as Nelsinho Rosa, is a Brazilian retired football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. Career Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rosa made his senior debut with Madureira before joining Fl ...
(1989) * Alcir Portela (1990) *
Mário Zagallo Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo (; born 9 August 1931) is a Brazilian former professional football player, coordinator and manager, who played as a forward. Zagallo holds the record for World Cup titles in general with four titles in total. He was ...
(1990–1991) *
Antônio Lopes Antônio Lopes dos Santos, usually known as Antônio Lopes (born June 12, 1941) is a Brazilian football head coach and former footballer. Before being a football head coach, he worked as a chief police officer in Rio de Janeiro city. Antôni ...
(1991) *
Nelsinho Rosa Nélson Rosa Martins (born 8 December 1937), known as Nelsinho Rosa, is a Brazilian retired football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. Career Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rosa made his senior debut with Madureira before joining Fl ...
(1992) * Joel Santana (1992–1993) * Alcir Portela (1993) * Jair Pereira (1994) *
Sebastião Lazaroni Sebastião Barroso Lazaroni, (born 25 September 1950) is a Brazilian football manager who last coached Qatar Stars League club Qatar SC. He was born in Muriaé, Minas Gerais state. He is well known in Brazil as the manager who tried to intr ...
(1994) *
Nelsinho Rosa Nélson Rosa Martins (born 8 December 1937), known as Nelsinho Rosa, is a Brazilian retired football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. Career Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rosa made his senior debut with Madureira before joining Fl ...
(1995) *
Abel Braga Abel Carlos da Silva Braga (born 1 September 1952), known as Abel Braga, is a Brazilian former football coach and player. He played as a central defender during a professional career that started with Fluminense in 1968. He earned one cap fo ...
(1995) * Alcir Portela (1995) * Jair Pereira (1995) * Zanata (1995–1996) * Alcir Portela (1996) *
Carlos Alberto Silva Carlos Alberto Silva (14 August 1939 – 20 January 2017) was a Brazilian football manager. Graduate in physical education by Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Silva became famous managing Guarani in its 1978 Brazilian Championship title. ...
(1996) * Alcir Portela (1996) *
Antônio Lopes Antônio Lopes dos Santos, usually known as Antônio Lopes (born June 12, 1941) is a Brazilian football head coach and former footballer. Before being a football head coach, he worked as a chief police officer in Rio de Janeiro city. Antôni ...
(1996–2000) *
Abel Braga Abel Carlos da Silva Braga (born 1 September 1952), known as Abel Braga, is a Brazilian former football coach and player. He played as a central defender during a professional career that started with Fluminense in 1968. He earned one cap fo ...
(2000) * Alcir Portela ''(interim)'' (2000) * Tita (January 1, 2000 – June 30, 2000) *
Oswaldo de Oliveira Oswaldo de Oliveira Filho (born 5 December 1950), known as Oswaldo de Oliveira, is a Brazilian football manager. Manager career Born in Rio de Janeiro, Oswaldo de Oliveira became the first team coach for Corinthians in 1999 when Vanderlei Luxem ...
(2000) * Joel Santana (2000–01) * Alcir Portela (2001) *
Hélio dos Anjos Hélio César dos Anjos Pinto (born 7 March 1958) is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who is in charge of Ponte Preta. During his playing career as a goalkeeper, he played for Flamengo, Cruzeiro and Joinville, and ...
(2001) * Paulo César Gusmão (2001) *
Evaristo de Macedo Evaristo de Macedo Filho, (born 22 June 1933, in Rio de Janeiro), known simply as Evaristo, is a Brazilian former footballer and coach. Club career Madureira (1950–1952) Raised in the north of Rio de Janeiro, Evaristo, like many children, play ...
(2002) *
Antônio Lopes Antônio Lopes dos Santos, usually known as Antônio Lopes (born June 12, 1941) is a Brazilian football head coach and former footballer. Before being a football head coach, he worked as a chief police officer in Rio de Janeiro city. Antôni ...
(2002–03) *
Mauro Galvão Mauro Geraldo Galvão (born 19 December 1961) is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a sweeper, having won the title of Brazilian Champion four times, playing for Internacional (1979), Grêmio Portoalegrense (1996) and Vasco da ...
(2003) *
Geninho Eugênio Machado Souto (born 15 May 1948), commonly known as Geninho, is a Brazilian football manager and former player who played as a goalkeeper. Playing career Born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Geninho was a product of hometown side Bot ...
(December 15, 2003 – September 27, 2004) * Joel Santana (September 27, 2004 – April 20, 2005) * Dário Lourenço (2005) *
Renato Gaúcho Renato Portaluppi (born 9 September 1962), known as Renato Gaúcho, is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who is currently in charge of Grêmio. Formerly a right winger, Renato is known for his wins at the Intercontin ...
(July 18, 2005 – April 12, 2007) *
Celso Roth Celso Juarez Roth (born 30 November 1957 in Caxias do Sul) is a Brazilian football manager and former player who played as a central defender. He is the current head coach of Juventude. Coaching career On 4 May 2009 the former Grêmio coach ...
(April 15, 2007 – October 22, 2007) * Romário ''(interim)'' (October 22, 2007 – October 25, 2007) * Valdir Espinosa (October 26, 2007 – December 31, 2007) * Romário (January 1, 2008 – February 9, 2008) *
Alfredo Sampaio Alfredo Sampaio (born 23 May 1958) is a Brazilian professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Madureira. Playing career He served for 15 years as a defender. He began his career playing futsal. Then played foot ...
(2008) *
Antônio Lopes Antônio Lopes dos Santos, usually known as Antônio Lopes (born June 12, 1941) is a Brazilian football head coach and former footballer. Before being a football head coach, he worked as a chief police officer in Rio de Janeiro city. Antôni ...
(March 31, 2008 – August 7, 2008) * Tita (August 7, 2008 – September 17, 2008) *
Renato Gaúcho Renato Portaluppi (born 9 September 1962), known as Renato Gaúcho, is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who is currently in charge of Grêmio. Formerly a right winger, Renato is known for his wins at the Intercontin ...
(September 18, 2008 – December 7, 2008) *
Dorival Júnior Dorival Silvestre Júnior (born 25 April 1962) is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. Playing career Known only as Júnior during his playing days, he was born in Araraquara, São Pau ...
(December 12, 2008 – December 7, 2009) * Vágner Mancini (December 12, 2009 – March 26, 2010) *
Gaúcho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired an ...
''(interim)'' (March 30, 2010 – May 18, 2010) *
Celso Roth Celso Juarez Roth (born 30 November 1957 in Caxias do Sul) is a Brazilian football manager and former player who played as a central defender. He is the current head coach of Juventude. Coaching career On 4 May 2009 the former Grêmio coach ...
(May 18, 2010 – June 12, 2010) * PC Gusmão (June 13, 2010 – January 28, 2011) * Ricardo Gomes (February 2, 2011 – August 28, 2012) * Cristóvão Borges (August 29, 2011 – September 10, 2012) *
Gaúcho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired an ...
''(interim)'' (September 11, 2012 – September 13, 2012) *
Marcelo Oliveira Marcelo de Oliveira Santos (born 4 March 1955) is a Brazilian professional football manager and former player who last managed Ponte Preta. Playing career Club Born in Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, he was known as Marcelo during his playing ...
(September 13, 2012 – November 5, 2012) *
Gaúcho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired an ...
(November 6, 2012 – March 21, 2013) *
Paulo Autuori Paulo Autuori de Mello (born 25 August 1956), known as Paulo Autuori, is a Brazilian association football, football executive and manager who is the current manager of Atlético Nacional. Early life A football fan since early childhood and a fu ...
(March 22, 2013 – July 9, 2013) *
Dorival Júnior Dorival Silvestre Júnior (born 25 April 1962) is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. Playing career Known only as Júnior during his playing days, he was born in Araraquara, São Pau ...
(July 11, 2013 – October 28, 2013) * Adílson Batista (2013–14) * Joel Santana (2014) *
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Top scorers

''Updated November 2015''


Stadium

Vasco da Gama's stadium is Estádio São Januário, inaugurated in 1927, with a maximum capacity of 35,000 people. The National Championship games have a maximum capacity of 21,880 people, for security reasons.


Rivals

Vasco's biggest rivals are from the same city:
Fluminense Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, th ...
,
Botafogo Botafogo (local/standard alternative Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a beachfront neighborhood ('' bairro'') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of ...
and
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
, with the latter being its biggest rival. The games between Vasco and Flamengo (" Millions Derby") are the most watched in Brazil. The matches are usually played in the Maracanã, and reunite two of the biggest crowds of Rio de Janeiro.


Kit evolution

Vasco da Gama is one of the oldest Brazilian clubs and has had several different kits in its history. Vasco da Gama's first kit, used in rowing, was created in 1898, and was completely black, with a left diagonal sash. Vasco da Gama's first football kit, created in 1916, was completely black, and was easily identified because of the presence of a white tie and a belt. In 1929, the club's kit was changed. The tie and the belt were removed. However, the kit remained all-black. In the 1930s, the home kit's color was changed again. The kit became black with a white right diagonal sash. In 1945, the kit's color was changed to white, and a black diagonal sash was introduced. The sash was introduced because the club's manager at the time, the
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
an
Ondino Viera Ondino Leonel Viera Palasérez (10 September 1901 – 27 June 1997), in Brazil also known as ''Ondino Vieira'', was a Uruguayan football manager. He was the first coach to use a 4-2-4 in Brazil. In his long-lasting career he won between the ...
liked the sash used in his previous club's kit, River Plate of
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, and adopted this pattern in Vasco's away kit. So, both kits had a right-to-left diagonal sash. In 1988, the sash located on the back of the shirt was removed. In 1998, the kit design was changed again. This kit became very similar to the 1945 one. However, a thin red line outlined the sash. Vasco currently has three kits. The home shirt's main color is black with a white sash. The short and the socks are black. The away kit is similar to the home kit, but the main color is white, the sash is black, and the shorts and socks are white. In 2009–10 the third kit was all white, with a red "
cross of the Knights Templar A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
". In 2010, the away kit changed to black in honor of 1923's team, which gave up playing for having black players, which were not allowed to play with white players at that time. From July 2009, after breaking the partnership with Champs, to 2013, the official jerseys were produced by Penalty. Since 2020, the kits are made by
Kappa (brand) Kappa is an Italian sportswear brand founded in Turin, Piedmont, Italy in 1978 by Marco Boglione, as a sportswear branch of the already existing "Robe di Kappa". History Maglificio Calzificio Torinese (MCT), a sock and underwear company from ...
.


Logo and flag

The eight stars on the badge and flag signify: 1-
South American Championship of Champions The South American Championship of Champions ( es, Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones, pt, Campeonato Sul-Americano de Campeões) was a football competition played in Santiago, Chile in 1948 and the first continental-wide football tournament in ...
: 1948; 2-
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...
: 1998; 3-
Copa Mercosur The Copa Mercosur (, pt, Copa Mercosul , "Mercosur Cup") was a football competition played from 1998 to 2001 by the traditional top clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. The competition was created by CONMEBOL to generate TV m ...
: 2000; 4-
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (; English: "Brazilian Championship A Series"), commonly referred to as the Brasileirão (; English: "Big Brazilian"), and also known as Brasileirão Assaí due to sponsorship with Assaí Atacadista, is a Br ...
: 1974; 5- 1989; 6- 1997; 7- 2000; 8- The Unbeaten Championship of Earth-and-sea of 1945.


Anthems

Vasco's official anthem was composed in 1918, by Joaquim Barros Ferreira da Silva, it was the club's first anthem. There is another official anthem, created in the 1930s, called "Meu Pavilhão" (meaning ''My Pavilion''), whose lyrics were composed by João de Freitas and music by Hernani Correia. This anthem replaced the previous one. The club's most popular anthem, however, is an unofficial anthem composed by Lamartine Babo in 1942.


Clubs named after Vasco

Due to Vasco's tradition, several clubs are named after it, including
Associação Desportiva Vasco da Gama Associação Desportiva Vasco da Gama, commonly known as Vasco de Rio Branco, Vasco do Acre or Vasco da Gama, is a Brazilian football club based in Rio Branco, Acre. The club currently competes in Campenato Acreano, the top division of the A ...
, of Acre state, founded in 1952,
Vasco Esporte Clube Vasco Esporte Clube, commonly known as Vasco, was a Brazilian football club based in Aracaju Aracaju () is the capital of the state of Sergipe, Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the coast, about 350 km (217 mi) ...
, of
Sergipe Sergipe (), officially State of Sergipe, is a state of Brazil. Located in the Northeast Region along the Atlantic coast of the country, Sergipe is the smallest state in Brazil by geographical area at , larger only than the Federal District. Serg ...
state, founded in 1931, Esporte Clube Vasco da Gama, of
Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
, São Paulo state, founded in 1958,
Vasco Sports Club Vasco may refer to: * Basque language, called ''vasco'' in Spanish * ''Vasco'' (album), a two-part EP by Ricardo Villalobos * Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer * Vasco da Gama, Goa, a city in India, often called simply Vasco * Club de Regatas Va ...
, which is an Indian football club founded in 1951, and CR Vasco da Gama Football Club, which is a South African football club founded in 1980. Tomazinho Futebol Clube, from
São João de Meriti São João de Meriti (, ) is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Its historical name is São João do Rio Meriti. Its population was 472,906 inhabitants in 2020. It's located in the region of Baixada Fluminense, having 34.996 ...
, Rio de Janeiro state, founded in 1930, has a logo strongly inspired by Vasco's logo, and share the same colors.


References

*''Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro'', Volume 1 – Lance, Rio de Janeiro: Aretê Editorial S/A, 2001.


External links


Official SiteTorcida Força Jovem VascoUnofficial Home PageVasco da Gama Unofficial Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasco Da Gama All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012 1898 establishments in Brazil Association football clubs established in 1898 Football clubs in Rio de Janeiro (state) Football clubs in Rio de Janeiro (city) Multi-sport clubs in Brazil Portuguese-Brazilian culture Diaspora football clubs in Brazil V V Copa do Brasil winning clubs Campeonato Brasileiro Série A winning clubs 2022 mergers and acquisitions