"Roberto was Vasco. Vasco was Roberto," says the club's statement on the passing of Dinamite.

247 - The greatest idol in Vasco's history, Roberto Dinamite, passed away on Sunday morning (8), at the age of 68, due to complications caused by bowel cancer. 

Vasco da Gama published a lengthy statement about the former player, in which it says: "Roberto was Vasco. Vasco was Roberto."

Read in full:

Vasco da Gama announces with immeasurable sorrow the passing of the greatest idol in the club's history, Carlos Roberto de Oliveira, "Dinamite," at the age of 68 due to bowel cancer.

Born in the city of Duque de Caxias, in the Baixada Fluminense region, Roberto Dinamite demonstrated an affinity for the ball from early childhood and arrived at Vasco da Gama, still in the youth categories, in 1969. Three years later, the then "Calu" (as he was known since the matches he played in his birth neighborhood) reached the professional level of the Giant. On November 14, 1971, in a match against Bahia for the Brazilian Championship, the seventeen-year-old did, for the first time, what he would repeat on another 1109 occasions.

It didn't take long for Vasco fans to see him explode onto the scene. On November 25th, against Internacional at the Maracanã, Roberto easily defeated his opponents and scored his first professional goal for the club. A true explosion of joy, as highlighted by the Jornal dos Sports, and one that was repeated 707 times. Roberto then became a symbol of Vasco da Gama. Generations were raised considering a true symbiosis between the two.

Roberto was Vasco. Vasco was Roberto. In 1974, Dinamite was the true starting point towards the club's first Brazilian Championship title, being the top scorer of the competition with 16 goals. In the following years, he achieved great success with national and state top scorer titles. He was also called up for the 1978 and 1982 World Cups. In the first instance, Roberto was the top scorer for the Brazilian National Team in the World Cup.

In the early 80s, Roberto Dinamite left Vasco da Gama for Barcelona (Spain). But the separation lasted only three months, and soon the striker was back at Colina. And it didn't take long for him to once again bring joy to the fans. In a game against Corinthians at the Maracanã, Dinamite scored five goals in Vasco's 5-2 victory.

He spent another 12 years at Vasco da Gama, nine of them uninterrupted, accumulating titles; top scorer awards; and cultivating immense love and gratitude. Until his retirement and farewell to the pitch in 1992.

In 2008, Roberto Dinamite was elected President of Vasco da Gama and re-elected in 2011. During this period, the Club won the Copa do Brasil and the Série B of the Brazilian Championship.

Statue in São Januário and honors

In 2021, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Roberto Dinamite's first goal for Vasco da Gama, the club launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a statue of the idol at São Januário stadium. Within hours, the campaign reached its target. On April 28, 2022, at an event that was part of the series of tributes for Roberto's birthday, Vasco unveiled the statue on the pitch of the Caldeirão stadium, with the presence and great celebration of the fans, as well as distinguished guests. Later that same month, Roberto received the title of Benefactor of Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama.

Career Highlights:

• 1.110 games for Vasco da Gama (player who has worn the club's jersey the most times)
• 708 goals for Vasco da Gama (the club's all-time leading scorer)
• Top scorer in the history of the Brazilian Championship (190 goals)
• Top scorer in the history of the Rio de Janeiro State Championship (279 goals)
• Top scorer in the history of São Januário (184 goals)
• Top scorer in the history of Vasco's matches against its main rivals:
• Vasco vs Flamengo (27 goals vs. 19 goals by Zico)
• Vasco vs. Fluminense (36 goals vs. 12 goals by Waldo)
• Vasco vs Botafogo (25 goals vs 17 goals by Quarentinha)
• Author of the most beautiful goal in Maracanã history (1976)

The Greatest of All Time will be eternal. His legacy is eternal. His influence on generations who have followed football for decades, and who even inspired the names of fans, is infinite.

Thank you for everything, Roberto. We love you. Forever.

Subscribe to 247, Support via Pix, Subscribe to TV 247, in the channel Cuts 247 and watch: