The Argentine who will join Botafogo’s interim coaching staff at the request of the players

Joel Carli will be Lúcio Flávio's assistant after the dismissal of Bruno Lage

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2023-10-06 11:48:35

Image Credits: © (Twitter @Botafogo)

Despite being the leader of the Brasileirao and having a historic opportunity to win the league, there are turbulent hours in Botafogo. Well, the club made the decisive decision to fire Bruno Lage, who had only been in office for two and a half months. The Portuguese had taken the reins of the team in July, after the resignation of Luís Castro to lead Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, but his work never convinced.

To cover his departure, Lúcio Flávio will take charge of “Fogao” on an interim basis. Joel Carli, a 36-year-old former Argentine defender, will be his field assistant. According to Globo Esporte , his inclusion in the coaching staff was requested by the team, which also expressed dissatisfaction with Lage’s management.

Joel Carli, the idol who is going for another feat with Botafogo

Carli had been in the “Lone Star” youth divisions area since his retirement from professional soccer in June. The majority of the current squad had him as a teammate and assure that his leadership qualities are highly valued in the locker room. This is what the footballers would have told him in a meeting with John Textor, owner of the club.

🇦🇷🖤 ¡Gracias, Capitán!

🔥 O último ato do ídolo do @Botafogo foi na CONMEBOL #Sudamericana. Valeu, Joel Carli! pic.twitter.com/bBlztfXf0V

— CONMEBOL Sudamericana (@SudamericanaBR) June 30, 2023

The former central marker is also very loved by the fans, as he left great memories in his different stages as a footballer. In addition to having scored a key goal for the Carioca 2018 victory, he returned to Rio de Janeiro when they needed him most and played a fundamental role in the return to the first division. Now, he will have to contribute from another place.

The task of righting the ship

Botafogo is first in the Brasileirao with 52 points, seven behind Bragantino, its immediate pursuer. Although the position is very pleasant, “Fogao” is going through a negative streak: it has gone four games without knowing a victory, with one draw and three losses.

When Lage took over, he inherited a team that was 12 points ahead of the second. Claudio Cacapa had done a spectacular job in his interim, with four wins in as many matches. The Portuguese, on the other hand, did not achieve consistency: there were five wins, seven draws and four defeats. In the middle, he suffered elimination in the quarterfinals of Sudamericana against Defensa y Justicia.

Botafogo knows that they have an unbeatable chance to be champion in their country, so they chose to make a difficult decision rather than risk losing everything. Flávio and Carli will therefore have a challenging task. Their first challenge will be on Sunday, October 8, against Fluminense, who recently qualified for the Libertadores final.