“The atmosphere enchants everyone who loves real football.”
VASCO IS MORE THAN JUST A FOOTBALL CLUB
On matchdays, São Januário hums with something different. Not just noise, not just passion—it’s the sound of a stadium and its people moving as one. The stands shake, the chants echo, and for Giulia Dias, there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.
“My connection with football, and especially with Vasco, came about before I was even born,” she says. “My grandfather passed this love on to my family, and I often say that our history and the history of the club are intertwined!”
Vasco da Gama isn’t just a club for her—it’s a cause, a movement, something bigger than the game itself.
“Vasco is unique for its tradition and history, it’s much more than just a football club! Even though it has so many remarkable glories, such as being the first continental champion in the world, it started the fight against racism in Brazilian football and influenced the democratisation of the sport.”
In a city where football isn’t just a sport but a language, Rio de Janeiro offers something you won’t find anywhere else. “Rio is one of the best places to experience football. The aesthetic of the teams is unique, and everywhere you look there’s someone with a ball on their foot. It’s enchanting.”
But São Januário? That’s something else. “It has the essence of traditional stadiums, far from the standard of today’s modern arenas. The acoustics are great, you can feel the stands shaking, the atmosphere enchants everyone who loves real football.”
And it’s not just inside the stadium—football spills out into the streets, the surrounding Barreira do Vasco favela part of the club’s heartbeat.
Her love for the game doesn’t stop at watching; she captures it too. Giulia is rarely without her camera, finding beauty in the raw emotion of matchday.
“In my photos, I try to convey the emotion of experiencing the games and places that someone else might not have the opportunity to. It’s like a way of including everyone who wants to be included and who wants to feel it, even from afar.”
Ask her about players, and there’s no hesitation. “My favorite player is definitely Roberto Dinamite!” A legend whose name still carries weight, whose presence still lingers in the club’s identity.
For Giulia, Vasco is more than football. It’s history, it’s family, it’s the rhythm of Rio itself. And when she’s in the stands, camera in hand, she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.
ALL OUR THANKS TO GIULIA DIAS WHO YOU CAN FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM HERE