Textor denies crisis at Botafogo, takes a swipe: "We're not Vasco"

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Papo na Colina

·7 octobre 2025

Textor denies crisis at Botafogo, takes a swipe: "We're not Vasco"

The owner of Botafogo's SAF, John Textor, denied on Monday (6) that there is any internal crisis or power struggle between Eagle Football Holdings and the social club. In an interview with ge, the American businessman took the opportunity to take a jab at Vasco, citing the case of 777 Partners: “We are not Vasco, this is not 777.”

In the morning, rumors circulated in WhatsApp groups about a supposed meeting between João Paulo Magalhães Lins, president of Botafogo's social club, and representatives of Ares, the company that lent money to Textor for the purchase of Lyon. The information was quickly denied by the executive himself and later by the owner of the SAF.

Vidéos OneFootball

“I don’t like to comment on rumors, but this one echoed a lot, so I will speak. This news is based on nothing. There can't be a meeting of Eagle without me being involved,” stated Textor. “I am the majority partner of Eagle Football Holdings. This company owns a sub-company called Eagle Football Holdings MIDCO, and I am the only director of it. And it is the partner of Eagle BIDCO, which is linked to the clubs. The board includes me, Mark Affolter from Ares, and Chris Mallon. There will be changes in this group soon, but I will remain in the group,” he added.

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Durcesio Mello, John Textor, and João Paulo Magalhães Lins — Photo: Reproduction

The American also mentioned that he spoke directly with João Paulo, who assured him that there was no contact with Ares representatives. Textor emphasized that there is no struggle for control of Alvinegro and highlighted the administrative balance of the SAF.

“João Paulo runs the social club, they have various opinions. They own 10% of Botafogo and are always invited to collaborate whenever they want, but Eagle Football owns 90%. We are not Vasco, this is not 777. We have good shareholders, and the club's governance is good, no changes are needed,” he said.

The mention of Vasco refers to the crisis experienced by the São Januário club with 777 Partners, the former owner of the cruzmaltina SAF. In 2024, President Pedrinho went to court to remove the company after financial problems and breach of contractual obligations. Currently, Vasco is managed by an interim board while seeking new investors.

Finally, Textor assured that Botafogo has the financial means to continue the season without difficulties and reinforced his long-term commitment to the club.

“The shareholders will continue to help. I said I would like to die at this club, I will die at Botafogo. I don’t know if that means I will be the leader forever, I don’t know how many years at this intensity a human being can endure (laughs), but Eagle Football will continue to support this great club. We have dirty laundry to wash, like a family, but we will get through it,” he concluded.

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John Textor in Botafogo vs. Vasco — Photo: André Durão

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