‘Interminable’ Nenê ends double title drought with Paraíba championship | OneFootball

Nenê has played for several traditional clubs in Brazil and Europe.

But he boasts few trophies on his résumé.

At 44 years old, the veteran midfielder has become the main attraction for Botafogo da Paraíba this season.

And on Saturday (21), he celebrated winning the Campeonato Paraibano.

It was only his fourth "major" title celebrated on the field. 

After a 2-1 victory in the first leg, Belo held Sousa—the then reigning two-time champion—to a 0-0 draw to claim the trophy.

Nenê’s Achievements 🏆

Nenê came up through Paulista, which at the time was called Etti Jundiaí.

It was there that he celebrated twice in 2001 by winning the A2 of the Paulistão and the Série C of the Brazilian Championship.

He went trophyless at Palmeiras, Santos, Mallorca, Alavés, Celta, Monaco, Espanyol, Al-Gharafa, and West Ham.

He played for PSG, which would become French champion in 2012/2013, but was already playing in Qatar when the trophy was lifted in Europe. 

His title drought on the field only ended with the aforementioned Vasco in 2016.

In addition to Fluminense and Juventude, he also played for São Paulo before arriving in northeastern football. 

And now, he celebrates another trophy.

Now the Focus is on Promotion

Botafogo hadn’t celebrated since 2019. As for Nenê, not since 2016, when he won the Carioca Championship with Vasco.

The midfielder only had less significant achievements during that gap.

Such as the Taça Rio in 2017 (Vasco) and 2021 (Fluminense), and the Gauchão do Interior with Juventude last year.

Belo has now won its 33rd Paraibano title, extending its dominance, as the second biggest winner is Campinense (22). 

The trophy came with a coaching change, as Lisca took over after a 4-1 defeat to Campinense in the fifth round. 

Botafogo improved, secured a spot in the semifinals, and eliminated Serra Branca before facing Sousa. 

The focus will now shift to the Copa do Nordeste and the Série C of the Brazilian Championship.

Leaving the third division is the main goal of the season. 

The squad also includes, for example, Henrique Dourado, formerly of Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, and Cruzeiro.

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