Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Botafogo, the current leaders of the Brasileirão, suffered their third consecutive defeat in the Brazilian Championship with a
1-0 to Corinthians
on matchday 24 at the Arena Neo Química. The defeat left coach Bruno Lage visibly emotional and eager to lift the team’s spirits. In a heartfelt appeal, Lage asked Botafogo’s passionate fans to support the team during this challenging period.
“That’s what they (players) need. Botafogo’s fans are passionate, they’re a big club, but on the first matchday there were 10,000 fans. Now there are 50, 60 thousand pushing this team“, asked Lage, emphasizing the importance of the fans’ support.
Lage acknowledged the difficulty of the second round of the championship, in which teams became familiar with Botafogo’s style of play. He promised to find ways to win and encouraged the fans to channel their energy positively.
The coach, known for his intensity on the sidelines, said:“Give them maximum affection, don’t expose more pressure or more anxiety, give them total freedom to play.”
Regarding the match itself, Lage described it as “inglorious”, highlighting in particular the team’s performance after left-back Marçal received a red card 20 minutes into the first half.
Despite this challenging period, Botafogo remain top of the Brasileirão with 51 points, although they missed the opportunity to widen the gap to second-placed Palmeiras, who have 44 points. Botafogo’s next game is scheduled for Monday, against Goiás at Nilton Santos, and the team and its passionate fans are hoping for a return to winning ways.