Clément Pédron, Media365, published on Sunday December 1, 2024 at 8:46 a.m.
Saturday evening, Botafogo, the club owned by John Textor who also owns OL and Molenbeek, won the first Copa Libertadores in its history against Atletico Mineiro (3-1). A success that could do a lot of good for the Eagle galaxy.
Who would have believed it! Saturday evening, at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Botafogo won their first Copa Libertadores title – the equivalent of the Champions League in South America – against Atletico Mineiro (3-1). And it’s a small miracle considering its recent trajectory. Indeed, in 2020, the club owned by John Textor (also owner of Olympique Lyonnais and Molenbeek) since 2022, was wandering in the second division… Saturday evening, the Rio de Janeiro team touched the Grail after a tough match and a crazy scenario.
However, everything was not easy for Artur Jorge's players, quickly reduced to ten after the exclusion of Gregore for a sole on the head of Fausto Vera (2nd). Especially since in the process, Hulk's Atletico Mineiro quickly tried to take advantage without succeeding (9', 32'). But Botafogo did not give in to panic and was content, initially, to manage this numerical inferiority before pushing in their turn. And this strategy paid off since Luiz Henrique unlocked the counter of this meeting after the half hour of play before obtaining a penalty which the former Mancunian Alex Telles transformed (2-0, 44').
A nice jackpot at stake
In the second half, Gabriel Milito, the coach of Atletico Mineiro, launched new blood to hope for a burst of pride, a coaching that paid off since the club based in Belo Horizonte reduced the gap two minutes after the start of the second period (2-1). Serene, diligent defensively, the Botafogo players managed the last half hour until the final whistle, even allowing themselves to score one last goal, signed Junior Santos, to definitively seal the victory. After Fluminense last season, Botafogo perpetuates Brazilian domination in this Copa Libertadores. Indeed, we have to go back to 2018 to find traces of an Argentinian victory, that of River Plate.
This coronation is not just good news on a football level. It’s also a nice financial jackpot for the entire Eagle galaxy. Thanks to its success, Botafogo will receive 23 million euros promised to the winner but also around 50 million euros for its qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup. And when we know that John Textor likes to make financial demands on his clubs, OL could well benefit from it…
