Joel Carli ended his career with the Botafogo uniform, where he became an idol against all odds. At 36 years old, the Argentine defender entered in the last minutes of the 1-1 draw against Magallanes by CONMEBOL Sudamericana to say goodbye in front of the Fogão fans.
His story in Rio de Janeiro is particular. His arrival at the club in 2016 was questioned by a large part of the fans and the press, since he did not have a very striking route. However, time showed that Carli was destined to get into the story of the ‘Lone Star’.
READ MORE
++ Benfica would be interested in former Porto player Alex Telles
++ How was Brazil’s best performance in the Women’s FIFA World Cup
++ Who was in the starting lineup? Brazil won the Copa America at Maracanã 4 years ago
Joel Carli, the unexpected idol of Botafogo
Carli came to Brazilian soccer at the age of 29, without having had any other experience abroad. Until then, he had worn the colors of Aldosivi, Deportivo Morón, Quilmes and Gimnasia in Argentina. Therefore, there were doubts about his ability to excel at Botafogo.
However, it did not take long to surprise the skeptics. Not only did he manage to consolidate himself in the starting team, but he was a key player in qualifying for the 2017 Copa Libertadores, the club’s first participation in three years and fifth in history.
Already for that year, Carli became a benchmark for the team while wearing the captain’s armband. Fogão reached the quarterfinals of the Libertadores and the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil, but the best came the following season.
It was in the final of Carioca 2018 when Carli ended up conquering the fans. Following a first-leg loss to Vasco da Gama, the Argentine scored an agonizing goal in the rematch to force penalties, which his team won.
Two years later, he left the club amid cutbacks due to the pandemic. At that time he returned to Aldosivi, but due to the relegation of Botafogo, he came back to Rio just a few months later.
Although the gesture itself of showing his face at such a difficult moment already generated admiration, his great level to help the ascent made his figure grow even more.
Once Botafogo returned to the top flight, the veteran central marker lost space but contributed from his spot. Upon learning of his retirement, the club allowed him to say goodbye in front of the fans just before June 30, when his contract ended.
On an emotional night, Carli was cheered by the entire stadium and her teammates gave her the traditional farewell aisle. In this way, Botafogo fired the second foreigner with the most appearances in the club’s history. Joel Carli, the Argentine who was forever in the heart of Fogão, will now extend his legacy as a coach in the youth categories.
