John Textor, owner of SAF do Botafogo, has been suspended for 45 days and fined R$100,000 by the Supreme Court of Sports Justice (STJD) following his controversial comments after Botafogo’s defeat to Palmeiras last November.
The penalty, announced last week in Rio de Janeiro, restricts Textor from football-related areas on game days. He has already served 28 days of this suspension.
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Despite the ban from the stadium on match days, Textor can still conduct business and sign contracts for Botafogo on non-game days.
Textor’s lawyer, Michel Assef Filho, deemed the outcome satisfactory. “There’s no victory or defeat here; we all seek the common good, which is football,” Assef stated, emphasizing the importance of leadership freedom in sports.
The disciplinary action stems from Textor’s reaction during a televised post-match interview last November 1, where he vehemently criticized the referees and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). “The whole world saw it; this is not a red card,”
Textor proclaimed on the field. “I’m not even sure if it was a foul. But it’s definitely not a red card, it changed the game. This is corruption, this is theft. Please fine me, Ednaldo, but you need to resign tomorrow morning. That’s what needs to happen. This championship has become a joke. Nobody deserves this.”
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
The first three episodes are available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for the upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
