ThefoundingofAMEAandVasco's"HistoricResponse"

After the 1923 championship, when Vasco became the first team with Black and poor players in its squad to win the main football tournament in Rio, the elite clubs, noticeably uncomfortable with the feat, abandoned the Liga Metropolitana and founded the AMEA (Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Atléticos).

Image description: The image is a shield in the shape of a mesh, with red borders and a blue background. At the top, the acronym "AMEA" is written in white letters. Below the acronym, three yellow triangles are arranged in the shape of an inverted triangle.

The new association did not include the participation of Vasco or other smaller clubs, on the grounds that they did not meet the new criteria: having an appropriate field for holding matches and registering players through a process that was extremely complicated and full of responsibilities and penalties. With these requirements, the possibility of participation by Black people and poor white people was removed from AMEA. One of the association's provisions, in fact, validated the denial of participation to drivers, the profession of Vasco's goalkeeper.

For the cruzmaltino club to be able to participate in the AMEA, a list with the names of 12 players who should be excluded was presented. The 12 were Black and working-class. Faced with the demand, Vasco da Gama sent a letter to the AMEA, titled "A Resposta Histórica" ("The Historic Response"):

Image description: The image shows an old document, dated April 7, 1924, signed by José Augusto Prestes, president of A.M.E.A. The paper is yellowed, suggesting its age. The text is written in Portuguese, in a clear and legible font. In the lower right corner, there is a seal with the coat of arms of Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama and the text "Centro de Memória."

The team stayed out of the AMEA championship in 1924 and remained in the Liga Metropolitana, where it was once again undefeated champion. The clubs that made up the AMEA, realizing that Vasco's matches drew large crowds, invited the team to join the association in 1925 - this time, with all of its players.

Vasco da Gama helped break down barriers in the football world in the early 20th century, bringing more and more players from the poorer classes and serving as an example for other clubs.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people posing for a photo in a stadium. In the foreground, we see several men wearing sports uniforms, holding a large flag with symbols and letters. On the left, there are more people, some of whom appear to be members of the soccer team. In the background, the crowd is seated in the stands, watching the scene.