Botafogo: Textor Dispute, R$500M Debt & Club Statement

O Botafogo society once again took a stance on the imbroglio that the club is experiencing and involves John Textor, Eagle, Ares, Lyon and other characters. The associative, which has João Paulo Magalhães Lins as president, explained defenses he made to the shareholder of SAF and requested compliance with the Shareholders’ Agreement.

The social media’s argument is that foreign investors blocked transfers to the club, speaking of “evil acts from Eagle, investors and Lyon”. Thus, there are financial difficulties, a deficit of up to R$500 million in 2026 and the risk of delayed wages.

Read below.

“Botafoguense friends,

We need to explain, in an objective and transparent way, what is really happening in the international dispute that involves the USA, France, Belgium, England and which has now reached Brazil — directly affecting our Botafogo.

First of all, something needs to be absolutely clear:

THE ASSOCIATION (SOCIAL CLUB) DID NOT ASK FOR JOHN TEXTOR OR EAGLE TO LEAVE!

What we are asking for — and will continue to ask for — is simply that the Shareholders Agreement be fulfilled. This agreement was signed in March 2022 by Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, through president Durcesio Mello, and by Eagle Football Holdings, through its majority shareholder John Textor. We ask that these commitments be honored, protecting Botafogo and ensuring that SAF functions as expected by all of us.

Botafogo belongs to its people. With the exception of John Textor and one of Eagle’s investors – Mr. “JP Conte”, the other Eagle investors never came to a game, for them Botafogo is just a business, which is contradictory to the love we have.

1. WHAT THE SOCIAL CLUB DID TO SUPPORT TEXTOR

In July, to our surprise, Textor’s own partners at EAGLE tried to remove him from Botafogo — just as had already happened at Lyon.

And what did the Social Club do?

WE DEFEND TEXTOR AND GUARANTEE ITS PERMANENCE!

If it weren’t for the intervention of Botafogo Social, he would have been removed in July.

The Social Club was decisive for him to remain in charge.

Our affection for Textor is permanent. Nothing that is happening now diminishes this recognition.

2. WHAT WE DISCOVERED WHEN INVESTIGATING THE SITUATION

When understanding the attempt to remove Textor, we are faced with sad information, especially that the values:

– Brazilian glove renewal;
– the Libertadores Achievement Award;
– the Prize for winning the Brazilian Championship;
– the sale of countless athletes;
– the Prize for participating in the World Championship;

They were used to compose the:

– US$ 128 million that came from Botafogo to save Lyon from relegation and
your debts;

With the non-refund of this money, SAF was left without funds for its daily operations.

How can the current Brazilian Champion, the current Libertadores Champion, the Club that sold its idols to save Lyon, not have money for anything? Do you fans think what Eagle is doing with Botafogo is fair? And do you fans think that we at Clube Social, knowing this situation, following the suffering of SAF and its executives, should not take a stand to defend Botafogo? Not only us at Social, but also all of you in the stands, have the obligation to protect Botafogo from this mess they do to us and, please, SAF and Textor don’t deny it, because we all know the TRUTH! Eagle took it and refuses to return it, the single cashier discourse ends with the refund being broken and this was not caused by the Social Club.

3. INVESTMENT BY FOREIGN PARTNERS TO REMOVE JOHN TEXTOR

To top it off, over the course of these four months, after investigating all the situations, Textor’s foreign partners sought out Botafogo Social to negotiate Textor’s departure from SAF, just as was done in Lyon, ONCE AGAIN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT AT THAT MOMENT WE SHOULD PROTECT TEXTOR AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE INTENTIONS OF HIS MEMBERS WERE NOT CLEAR IN RELATION TO DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL BOTAFOGO.

4. BOTAFOGO FACES TODAY, AMONG MANY OTHER REAL PROBLEMS

– R$300 to 500 million estimated deficit for 2026, which would have been paid if the US$128 million had not been sent to safeguard Lyon’s interests;

– Real risk of being penalized with the dreaded transfer ban;

– Actions at FIFA;

– And amazingly, it’s difficult to even pay salaries.

The request not to sell athletes, without everyone’s knowledge, is to prevent Botafogo’s money from ending up in NON-ALVINEGRAS hands again.

The latest payments were only possible thanks to the personal effort of the CEO Thairo Arruda and the Brazilian SAF team.

The foreign partners simply stopped the transfers.

5. FANS DESERVE RESPECT AND LET IT BE VERY CLEAR

Nobody from the Social Club asked for “Football” back, despite all the mistakes that are being made.

No one asked Textor to leave, on the contrary, we protected him, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR TEXTOR TO DENY WHAT WE DID FOR HIM! WE ALWAYS WANT TRANSPARENCY AND RESPECT WITH OUR BOTAFOGO!

6. A MESSAGE TO THE FANS

We know that this court decision can be reversed at any time, but our protest against the evils of EAGLE, investors and Lyon against Botafogo is done. And you fans are also Botafogo watchmen, just like us, because here we are all Alvinegros!

Let us continue together — with rationality, passion, responsibility and the conviction that we are defending the future of Botafogo and its people, united.

WE WILL NEVER STOP DEFENDING BOTAFOGO. BOTAFOGO IS ABOVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE!”