Vasco target Roger Machado if Renato Gaúcho talks collapse | OneFootball

Vasco continues its relentless search to appoint a new team commander for the remainder of the season. Although talks with Renato Gaúcho are progressing positively and he is the absolute priority of the management, the football department is already working on a plan B in case the agreement does not materialize in the coming days.

According to information released by journalist Bruno Andrade from ESPN Brasil, the name chosen as an immediate alternative is Roger Machado. The coach, who recently had a stint at Internacional, is highly regarded internally and emerges as the strongest option to take over the Cruzmaltino if negotiations with plan A encounter any financial or contractual obstacles.

+ Vasco targets Renato Gaúcho and will use the interseason to recover the shaken squad

The priority remains Renato Gaúcho

The Vasco leadership is focusing all its efforts on closing a deal with Renato Gaúcho during this ten-day period without games. The experienced coach has the leadership and locker room management profile that the management deems necessary to lift the team from the bottom of the league and restore the confidence of players who are underperforming in the Cruzmaltino squad.

The initial talks with Renato Gaúcho's staff were encouraging, and there is contained optimism in São Januário that the officialization may occur soon. However, caution in the football market requires the management not to be dependent on just one option, which justifies the probing and continuous monitoring of the situation of other professionals available in the Brazilian market.

Roger Machado's profile appeals to the management

If it becomes necessary to activate the alternative, Roger Machado would arrive with the backing of someone who knows Serie A well and has a well-defined playing style. His last experience at Internacional demonstrated the ability to organize defensive systems, precisely the main weakness of Vasco in this turbulent start to the 2026 season.

Regardless of whether it is Renato Gaúcho or Roger Machado, the club's order is to resolve this gap in the coaching staff as quickly as possible. Vasco needs ample time for the new coach to implement his working methodology during the interseason before the heavy sequence of games that is approaching.

Roger Machado has already been honored by Vasco

Besides his technical ability, Roger Machado's off-field profile finds strong synergy with Vasco's roots. Nationally recognized for his activism and strong speeches in the anti-racist fight, the coach shares the same values of inclusion and respect that mark the Cruzmaltino's "Historical Response" of 1924.

This identification of ideals has even been officially recognized: in June 2022, Vasco awarded Roger Machado the Pai Santana Honor, a medal created by the club to honor personalities who actively contribute to a more equal society and combat racism.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.