“Who got the player?”: John Textor mocks Flamengo over Botafogo signing | OneFootball

Flamengo and Botafogo fought a behind-the-scenes battle over Luiz Henrique

Botafogo is going through a serious financial crisis, has been hit with five FIFA transfer bans, yet still has the nerve to mock Flamengo. In a press conference given this Wednesday (03), John Textor, still the owner of the rival club’s SAF, mentioned the Rubro-Negro giants while celebrating the signing of Luiz Henrique in 2024.

— There are some things you’ll see, like the contract with Luiz Henrique. And it said it happened jointly with Botafogo, Lyon, and Luiz Henrique. And that never happened (…). It’s very difficult to convince a Brazilian player to return to Brazil. They love the country, but everyone will say, ‘he failed in Europe’ — Textor began.

— So sometimes the best thing you can do for a player like Luiz Henrique (…). I’ll tell you, Flamengo went to Spain while I was there too. They joined the race, they spoke with Luiz Henrique. But who ended up with the player? I did! — he concluded, referring to the negotiations for the forward, who at the time signed with Real Betis (ESP).

WHY DID FLAMENGO MISS OUT ON LUIZ HENRIQUE?

Flamengo failed to sign Luiz Henrique because of the deal structure. The board at the time, made up of Rodolfo Landim, Marcos Braz, and Bruno Spindel, even got there before Botafogo. However, Textor was ‘more direct’ and came out on top.

— Flamengo wanted me, but on loan, and Betis only wanted a sale. The president of Flamengo (Rodolfo Landim) and Marcos Braz went to my house, saying, ‘come to Flamengo.’ But then it didn’t work out. They promised me a lot of things, the president of Flamengo left. Two minutes later, (John) Textor arrived. Without arranging anything, out of the blue, he showed up at my house. I didn’t know; the only ones who knew were my agents — Luiz Henrique said in a recent interview.

WAS IT WORTH IT?

In 2024, Botafogo had the greatest year in the club’s history. However, it is still paying the price for its financial irresponsibility. With five transfer bans, billions in debt, and an uncertain future, the General Severiano side will struggle to rebuild in the coming years.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.