November 1, still in the first half of the match, and Botafogo put a third goal past their closest title rivals, Palmeiras. As forward Júnior Santos wheels away in celebration, the home fans are jubilant. Timid shouts of “champions” can be heard in the Nílton Santos Olympic Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro. Botafogo, 28 years since their last national title, are about to go nine points clear at the top of the Brazilian league table, with a match in hand and just over a month left in the season.
Then, it all came crashing down.
Forty-five minutes later, spurred on by a memorable performance from Palmeiras’s 17-year-old attacking dynamo Endrick — who has already sealed a EUR 70 million (USD 76.4 million) transfer to Real Madrid in July next year — and Botafogo have crumbled. From 3-0, it is now 3-3.
In the last second of the match, a Palmeiras freekick is launched into the Botafogo penalty area and turned into the net by defender Murilo. It finishes Botafogo 3-4 Palmeiras and begins what could turn out to be the biggest bottle job in Brazilian football history.
Path to glory?
One of the traditional football clubs of Rio de Janeiro, Botafogo fell on tough times in the 21st century, twice suffering relegation to Brazil’s second division. The Glorioso, as they are nicknamed, hadn’t enjoyed glory since winning...
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