World Football

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Vasco da Gama's fifth coach of the year Renato Portaluppi has announced a crackdown on overweight players, who will be fined if they do not shed excess kilos by the end of the week.

"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.

The daily newspaper O Globo said six players were overweight.

Renato took over last week for his second stint at Vasco and began with a 2-0 defeat to Palmeiras.

Vasco are 17th in the 20-team Brazilian championship, where the bottom four go down.

Vasco began the year under former Brazil striker Romario but he quit after five games, claiming that club president Eurico Miranda was interfering in team selection.

Romario was followed by Alberto Sampaio, Antonio Lopes and then Tite.

A tumultuous year has also seen Miranda ousted as president after a court battle and replaced by Roberto Dinamite, a former Vasco forward who played for Brazil in the 1978 World Cup.

Mario Sergio, the new coach of Figueirense, also announced drastic measures in an attempt to pull his side away from the danger zone.

Figueirense's fourth coach of the year said his squad would spend the rest of the championship, which runs until Dec. 7, confined to a hotel.

"We're going into concentration and we're only coming out at the end of the championship," he said. "There are no more days off for anyone, including me."