Chico (footballer, born 1922)
At the same time as Chico, the successful Uruguay coach Ondino Viera, who had already won five championships with Argentinian club CA River Plate and Flamengo, also started working for the club. This not only introduced the diagonal sash - inspired by River Plate - that has since become typical on Vasco jerseys, but also introduced tactical innovations. The former boxer Mário Américo also joined Vasco da Gama in 1942 as a masseur and physical therapist - from 1950 he was to accompany the national team through seven world championships as a physical therapist and as a factotum himself gain worldwide fame.