Brazilian team are named after serial killer who had ‘tantrums at gunpoint’
Brazilian giants Vasco da Gama might not have it all their own way in recent years – but Vasco have conquered Brazil and South America in the past.
And they've done it all bearing the name of the 15th-century Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. The famed navigator was the first explorer to find a direct sea route to India – opening up a whole new world of trade.
Some historians suggest the Portuguese' adventurer's achievement is immortalised on Vasco da Gama's shirt, the sash representing his route to India. However, Da Gama's crowning achievement is overshadowed by the cruelty he showed on the high seas.
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Historian Jean-Baptiste Prashant More once said: "Vasco da Gama indulged in some of the most heinous crimes. On October 1, 1502, he mercilessly ordered the killing of 700 innocent Malabar pilgrims. Half the pilgrims were women and children."
Some accounts of days under Da Gama tell of his "uncontrollable temper" and he had a tendency to murder his tough opponents thanks to his "violent tantrums" in trade dealings. Other accounts share tales of hostage-taking and threatening civilians to gunpoint.
Despite these heinous crimes, Da Gama was celebrated in Europe thanks to his landmark achievement that merged the two continents of Europe and Asia by sea.
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Vasco da Gama were founded as a rowing club in Rio de Janeiro by Portuguese migrants who had settled in the new world. And it wasn't long until the club had expanded into the beautiful game.
Vasco have since gone on to conquer Brazil on numerous occasions, and in 1998 they achieved their crowning glory – a Copa Libertadores success against Ecuadorian side Barcelona.
The Brazilian side isn't the only entity to be named after the Portuguese explorer – a crater on the moon also bears his name.
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