Mola, the midfielder who spurned Brazil’s 1934 World Cup call to stay at Vasco | OneFootball

In 1934, amid a split in Brazilian football, Vasco midfielder Mola refused a call to the World Cup, choosing to remain with his club.

According to Globo.com, the game was divided between the Confederação Brasileira de Desportos, which backed amateurism, and professional clubs who created the Federação Brasileira de Futebol. For the 1934 squad, the CBD tried to woo professionals, and at Vasco Tinoco and Leônidas da Silva accepted offers worth 30 contos as a signing bonus and a salary of one conto de réis.

Others opted to remain professionals at their clubs, including Mola. Discovered by director Adriano Rodrigues, he joined Vasco in 1928, formed a celebrated midfield with Tinoco and Fausto, and won the Carioca championship in 1929 and 1934, plus the Torneio Início from 1929 to 1932.

Soon after declining to serve Brazil, Mola suffered a serious knee injury at Vasco and retired in 1935 at 28.

Without many of their top players, Brazil sailed for Italy on a voyage of about two weeks aboard the Conte de Biancamano, training improvised on the deck. The ship stopped in Barcelona to take on the Spaniards, who would be their first opponents.

Coached by Luiz Augusto Vinhaes and without a friendly all the previous year, Brazil struggled at the tournament.

The 1934 World Cup was straight knockout from the round of 16. Brazil faced Spain on 27 May at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa and lost 3-1. Spain went 3-0 up before half-time, and Leônidas da Silva pulled one back.

Source: Globo.com