{"id":32036,"date":"2023-12-06T05:57:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T05:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/bitter-pill-for-botafogo-as-brazil-title-slips-away-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-12-06T05:57:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T05:57:06","slug":"bitter-pill-for-botafogo-as-brazil-title-slips-away-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/bitter-pill-for-botafogo-as-brazil-title-slips-away-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitter pill for Botafogo as Brazil title slips away | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nSAO PAULO:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

After 28 years, it looked like Botafogo’s Brazilian league title drought was finally ending, thanks to a crackling start to the season and a huge cash infusion from US magnate turned football investor John Textor.<\/p>\n

Then they lost their coach to Cristiano Ronaldo’s<\/a> Saudi club and spectacularly imploded in a string of key matches before letting a 13-point lead evaporate, leaving their long-suffering fans to suffer a little longer.<\/p>\n

Considered one of Brazil’s iconic clubs, Rio de Janeiro-based Botafogo, who won the league in 1968 and 1995, were mathematically eliminated from the 2023 title race on Sunday when they drew 0-0 at home against 14th-placed Cruzeiro, falling five points behind leaders Palmeiras with one match remaining.<\/p>\n

Now reduced to fifth place, Botafogo \u2013 who led the league for 31 matches and looked invincible mid-season \u2013 thus suffered the biggest reversal in the history of the “Brasileirao,” Brazil’s<\/a> top-flight league.<\/p>\n

The humiliating homestretch has been a far cry from the team’s seemingly unstoppable start, when they brushed aside star-studded favorites like Flamengo and defending champions Palmeiras to storm to a record 13 wins in their first 15 matches.<\/p>\n

Tapping a little-known but scrappy cast of players, Botafogo spent week after week making their fans dare to dream \u2013 not to mention Textor, who acquired a 90-percent stake in the club last year.<\/p>\n

The 58-year-old media and tech mogul, who also has large stakes in English club Crystal Palace, France’s Lyon and Belgium’s Molenbeek, has pledged to invest $77 million in improving Botafogo, who only returned to the top-flight league last season after being relegated in 2021.<\/p>\n

Home to former greats Garrincha and Jairzinho, Botafogo were soon turning heads with a new generation of talent, including goalkeeper Lucas Perri, defender Adryelson, midfielder Eduardo and forward Tiquinho Soares.<\/p>\n

“The players aren’t living day-to-day, they’re hungry for tomorrow, to win, to be first,” said then-coach Luis Castro of Portugal.<\/p>\n

A first fateful moment came in June, 12 matches into the 38-match season, when Castro was poached by Saudi side Al-Nassr.<\/p>\n

Countryman Ronaldo reportedly called the coach personally to ask him to take the job.<\/p>\n

Fellow Portuguese national Bruno Lage, formerly of Benfica and Wolverhampton, took over at Botafogo.<\/p>\n

But Botafogo suffered a series of injuries, and struggled to adapt to Lage’s style, a change from Castro’s possessional play.<\/p>\n

Their once-commanding lead dwindled.<\/p>\n

Lage was sacked in early October, with Botafogo leading by seven points.<\/p>\n

Seeking an in-house solution, Textor named assistant coach Lucio Flavio, a one-time Botafogo midfielder, to replace him. But the team’s problems only got worse.<\/p>\n

After they gave up the lead to Palmeiras in early November, Flavio, too, got the boot, replaced by veteran Brazilian coach Tiago Nunes.<\/p>\n

But Nunes has managed just four points in as many matches.<\/p>\n

Palmeiras meanwhile surged to a commanding lead.<\/p>\n

With 69 points \u2013 three clear of Atletico Mineiro and Flamengo \u2013 and a huge goal difference in their favor, the Sao Paulo giants are all but guaranteed a second straight title when the league wraps up Wednesday.<\/p>\n

For Botafogo, now out of the title race with 64 points, it was a November to forget.<\/p>\n

On November 1, they led Palmeiras 3-1 at home, only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, losing 4-3.<\/p>\n

Textor fumed in an obscenity-laced interview after the match that a crucial red card issued to Adryelson in the 76th minute was the result of “corruption.”<\/p>\n

The tirade prompted Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues to sue him for slander.<\/p>\n

Improbably, Botafogo repeated the exact same feat on November 9, giving up a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 at home to Gremio, courtesy of a Luis Suarez hat-trick.<\/p>\n

They also gave up leads to suffer painful last-gasp draws against Bragantino (who equalized in the 96th minute), Santos (90th minute) and Coritiba (99th minute).<\/p>\n

“No words I could say can possibly console our fans,” Nunes said.<\/p>\n

Their fairytale season now aborted, one Botafogo fan summed up the agony on X, formerly Twitter: “I’ve lost all feeling. I’m just a talking piece of meat.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n