Vasco da Gama hires Seabra amid legal, environmental and governance turmoil
Vasco da Gama appointed Fernando Seabra as head coach, paying a R$ 4 million contract termination fee to Coritiba and offering a salary three times higher than his previous deal. The move follows the resignation of former coach Renato Gaúcho and comes as the club seeks to stabilise its performance ahead of the Copa do Brasil knockout stage.
The club’s attempt to secure additional staff, including a reported verbal agreement with Botafogo coach Franclim Carvalho and midfielder Nelson Deossa, is stalled by the ongoing judicial intervention in Vasco’s Sociedade Anónima do Futebol (SAF). Interim manager Samantha Longo, appointed by a court after the ouster of former administrator Pedrinho, resigned citing personal security concerns, leaving the club’s football operations in limbo.
In parallel, negotiations are advancing for a potential new CEO, entrepreneur Marcos Lamacchia, who is linked to a proposed R$ 2 billion SAF sale and advocates the return of former president Pedrinho. Lamacchia stresses that Palmeiras president Leila Pereira, his step‑mother, has no role in the deal.
The Superior Tribunal de Justiça upheld a conviction against Vasco, the municipality of Duque de Caxias and the state environmental agency for mangrove damage caused by the construction of the club’s training centre. The ruling orders full ecological restoration and a R$ 20,000 collective moral damages payment.
Vasco’s under‑20 side also progressed to the quarter‑finals of the national youth championship, set to face Cruzeiro later in July.