Tiago Nunes takes over at Botafogo aiming to regain the lead in the Brasileirão

The former Sporting Cristal coach will try to lead the Rio de Janeiro-based club to a long-awaited title

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2023-11-16 17:22:06

Image Credits: © (@Botafogo)

Botafogo have officially announced today the hiring of coach Tiago Nunes, who arrives in Rio de Janeiro with a clear goal: to turn around the poor results of the Fogão’s recent matches and reclaim the lead in the final stretch of the 2023 Brasileirão, a tournament they haven’t won since 1995.

“Nunes has been chosen to lead Botafogo until the end of 2025. Tiago, 43 years old and a native of Santa Maria, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, comes to Glorioso to join forces in the race for the Brazilian title. The agreement was initially planned for January of next year, but the parties advanced the alliance,” the club said in a statement.

His successful experience with Sporting Cristal

Nunes has already worked in Brazil, serving as manager for Corinthians, Gremio, and Athletico Paranaense, with whom he won the 2018 Copa Sudamericana and the 2019 Copa do Brasil. He comes off a great campaign with Peruvian side Sporting Cristal, leading them to the Copa Libertadores group stage and Sudamericana playoffs this year, before securing a fourth-place finish in the domestic tournament.

Now, the Lone Star need him to deliver immediate results: Botafogo were comfortably leading the league table, but they haven’t won in the last six matches. Their latest draw against Bragantino allowed Palmeiras to snatch the lead with four rounds left in the championship.

Bem-vindo, professor! ⚽️🧠

Tiago Nunes é o novo técnico do Clube Mais Tradicional! 🔥 #VamosBOTAFOGO pic.twitter.com/YGT0ofSoHY

— Botafogo F.R. (@Botafogo) November 16, 2023

However, they have one game in hand, hence the pressure to win against Fortaleza away on Thursday, a result that would put them one point ahead of the Alviverde. Nunes has already met the group of players and sent an encouraging message for the fans: “I hope we can do a great job leading this giant of Brazilian football,” he said in a video posted by the club on social media.