This Saturday (11), the Nilton Santos stadium will host the clash between Botafogo and Maricá, valid for the first round of the Guanabara Cup. While Glorioso seeks to end a six-year drought without winning the state title, Tsunami makes its historic debut in Rio’s football elite.
After a memorable 2024, with the victory of the Libertadores and the Brazilian Championship, Botafogo begins the new year with great expectations, but also surrounded by controversies. The departure of coach Artur Jorge to Al-Rayyan, from Qatar, left the team without a defined command for the season. Furthermore, the club lost 11 important players, including Thiago Almada and Luiz Henrique, key players in the previous year’s victorious campaign.
Another point of tension is the delay in paying prizes, which generated dissatisfaction among athletes. Some players from the main squad are threatening not to return for the pre-season, creating a climate of uncertainty at Glorioso.
For the first time in Rio’s football elite, Maricá arrives motivated by a historic 2024 season. Champion of Series A2 and Copa Rio, the club secured a place in Series D of the Brasileirão and invested heavily to reinforce the squad.
Led by former player Reinaldo, Tsunami brought names such as Argentine striker Mathias Roskopf, formerly of Boca Juniors; Ecuadorian Kevin Mercado, former Catholic University; and Uruguayan defender Felipe Carvalho, ex-Juventude. The expectation is that the team from the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro will surprise the big clubs in the state.
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