Botafogo have completed the bottlejob of all bottlejobs after throwing away the Brazilian Serie A title to Palmeiras despite boasting a lengthy 14-point lead at the top of the table back in October.
Football can be a cruel game at times, and no fanbase will know that better than Botafogo fans. The Rio de Janeiro outfit had high hopes of lifting their first Brazilian Serie A title since 1995 this year, but after an unprecedented collapse in the second half of the campaign – it just wasn’t meant to be.
Botafogo Bottle 14-Point Lead To Throw Away Title
Managed by Luis Castro at the start of the season, Botafogo recorded an incredible 15 wins in their first 19 league matches – eventually seeing them sit at the top of the Brasileiro table with a 14-point advantage on second place.
At this point, it seemed as if the title was only going one way with some fans even getting tattoos of the trophy emblazoned across their body. However, this is something that they’d live to regret after Castro departed for a big money move to join his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
His exit marked the beginning of the end for Botafogo in terms of their title dreams, as ex-Wolves boss Bruno Lage came in to steer the ship. His tenure lasted a mere three months as he was sacked after losing the dressing room following three successive defeats in September.
A further two managers would be in post between then and the end of the season, but Under-23s coach Lucio Flavio and Tiago Nunes were unable to stop the collapse, seeing Botafogo fail to win any of their last 11 matches of the campaign – ending the term in a brutal fifth place.
This winless run included a 4-3 defeat to eventual title winners Palmeiras despite Botafogo leading 3-0 at the break and boasting a 3-1 lead in the 84th minute, but a late surge from Real Madrid star Endrick and co. saw the game turned on its head in disastrous fashion.
Botafogo ended the campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Internacional in which ex-Premier League striker Enner Valencia scored the opener, meanwhile 17-year-old Endrick scored for Palmeiras to secure a second consecutive title with a draw against Cruzeiro on a dramatic final day.
Elsewhere towards the bottom of the table, Pele and Neymar Jr’s former club Santos were relegated for the first time in the club’s 111 year history – sparking riots throughout the city.
Santos were relegated from the Brazilian Serie A today for the first time in their 111-year history. The fans haven’t taken it well…
(via @tntsportsbr) pic.twitter.com/An04P4QZ9e
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 7, 2023
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