Sao Paulo giants Palmeiras celebrated a record-extending 12th Serie A crown by drawing their final game against Cruzeiro while longtime leaders Botafogo lost at Internacional and ended up in fifth position, and hence outside of the automatic Copa Libertadores group stage places.
Amazingly the team from Rio failed to win any of their final eleven league games, included in which was a key loss to the eventual champions in early November.
Often derided for their record of bad luck Fogo might have surpassed themselves in this regard in the 2023 season
At one point they led the championship by some thirteen points and indeed topped the table for a large majority of the season.
They could rely on Tiquinho Soares to regularly convert chances and the striker would achieve no less than four Player of the Month awards.
But clues to their demise might be tracked to the departure of Portuguese coach Luis Castro followed by a surprise exit from the Copa Sudaamericana and then a couple of very damaging losses to their immediate title challengers.
In the latter cases, Fogo led both Gremio and Palmeiras by 3-1 before losing 4-3, in one case conceding defeat in the ninth minute of added time.
No wonder the historic feeling of a jinxed team was again writ large.
It is often said that it is the hope that can hurt the most and for Botafogo fans that must have been the overriding feeling when the tide turned and they couldn’t win any game.
However, Abel Ferreira’s Palmeiras could bask in the glory of retaining their trophy and the status of top-ranking in CONMEBOL and fourth in the World ranking.
But even the most hard-hearted might have some sympathy for what happened to Botafogo.
Report – John Bethell