Brazilian soccer club Vasco de Gama is taking the initiative combating obesity on their team only seen in governmental agencies and overbearing mothers. Recently named coach Renato Portaluppi, their fifth of the year, has gone to the extreme end of the spectrum and announced that players who are overweight are going to get charged $164 per kilo. Brazilian newspaper O Globo has calculated six players are overweight meaning (/takes out calculator) if they don’t lose their excess weight by the Friday deadline, they should have enough money to bring in a sixth coach by late next month.

“A footballer only learns in two ways: when he loses his place in the team or when he is fined,” said Renato, who cultivated a playboy image during his own playing career which was plagued by disciplinary problems.

“Players eat a lot of junk,” he said. “Everyone needs to be down to their ideal weight by Friday,” said Renato, adding that players who remained overweight would be fined 300 reais ($164) per excess kilo.

Vasco’s 17th in a 20 league team where the last four get relegated down, so why not just let the inevitable happen until they’re in a bar league? That way everyone can play fat and happy as long as someone brings the beer for halftime.

Brazil’s Vasco to fine flabby players [Reuters UK, via The Offsides]
Image [FOX]