February 23 – Following a 1-1 draw with Bolivia’s Aurora in the preliminaries of the Copa Libertadores and disappointing results in the Campeonato Carioca, Botafogo have dismissed their coach Tiago Nunes.
“Botafogo confirms that Tiago Nunes is no longer the coach of the first team. In a meeting of the club’s leadership on Thursday, it was decided to end the contract of the coach. John Textor and the football department are looking for a manager to lead the team and meet the challenges of the season,” said a club statement.
The club cited “results that did not meet expectations” as a reason to show Nunes the door.
In total, he managed 15 matches at Botafogo, winning just four games. Botafogo sit in fifth place in the table of the Rio State Championship.
Next week they will need to get a win in the return leg of their Copa Libertadores qualifier if they are to progress in that competition. Botafogo last featured in South America’s premier club competition in 2017, reaching the quarter-finals.
Even by Brazilian standards, where coaches come and go with a high frequency, the Botafogo hierarchy is proving to be trigger-happy.
Last season, the Rio club went through five coaches, coming agonizingly close to winning its first league title since 1995.
Botafogo has not yet found a replacement for Nunes with assistant Fabio Mathias stepping in on an interim basis. On Saturday, Botafogo host Audax. The national league season kicks off on April 8.
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