The rivalry between Botafogo and Palmeiras has grown in the last two years. And it’s no wonder. In 2023, the teams competed for the Brazilian title until the last rounds, with Palmeiras achieving an epic comeback and winning the cup.
In 2024, Botafogo “got revenge”, eliminating Abel Ferreira’s team in the round of 16 of the Libertadores, of which they ended up being champions. In the Brazilian Championship, the teams fight again for the cup. This time, Botafogo managed to take the advantage until the last round, but Palmeiras reached the 38th round.
Praise for Leila Pereira
With so many important clashes, the leaders of the two clubs, John Textor, owner of SAF do Botafogo, and Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras, .
In an interview with CNN Esportes S/A this Sunday (8), which will air at 9:15 pm (Brasília time), Textor left the disagreements aside and praised the president of Palmeiras.
“Leila deserves to be seen as much more than a woman. She is a great leader of a big business, which happens to be a big football club, and from what I know, she is also a leader of many other businesses that are good for Brazil”, said the owner of SAF botafoguense.
Textor took the opportunity to talk about the controversies involving the two teams in 2023 and said that, if he were in Leila’s place, he would act in the same way. Last year, the e became .
“I think I was very emotional, you know, from August last season, when I started to see anomalies in the behavior of players and referees, things that were affecting Botafogo, and I’ll tell you, the research we did with technology and other forms of evidence demonstrated that it was not just a multiple target against Botafogo. This was happening in other games and has been happening in Brazil and many other countries”, he explained.
I was focused on Botafogo and it was against Palmeiras that we were trying to hold on to the championship. So, I understand that when I make the comments I made, Leila should really have been offended by it. If I were her, I would have said: ‘Crazy gringo, shut up’. Her reaction would have been my reaction.
John Textor, owner of SAF do Botafogo
Rivalry between clubs
Leaving 2023 aside and returning to 2024, the scenario repeats itself, this time even more intense: Botafogo and Palmeiras until the last round.
Botafogo only needs a draw against São Paulo, in the last round, to lift the cup. Alviverde, on the other hand, needs to beat Fluminense and hope for a defeat for Glorioso. Despite this, Textor minimized the rivalry between the clubs.
“They don’t see us as rivals. We haven’t challenged them enough over the years to become a true rival to them,” he said.
Despite this, the owner of SAF do Botafogo revealed that he liked the competition and praised Leila Pereira again.
“I’m enjoying the competition we’re having, it’s been good for us. I think they have liked it too, and that is very good for Brazilian football. But my relationship with her is great, she has been wonderful with Thairo [Arruda] and with the management team. I look forward to meeting soon”, concluded Textor.
CNN Esportes S/A
Com John Textorreaches its 75th edition. Presented by João Vitor Xavier, the program goes behind the scenes of a market that moves billions and is one of the most profitable in the world: sport.
On the agenda, the hottest topics in the football world industry, from the perspective of economics and business.
