📋 Directionless, Botafogo name XI; Inter want to avoid the drop zone

TL;DR

Botafogo faces Internacional on Saturday, aiming to overcome internal turmoil after John Textor's removal. The match is crucial as Botafogo sits ninth in the Brasileirão standings.

Key points

Botafogo faces Internacional on Saturday
Match takes place at Nilton Santos Stadium
John Textor removed from SAF leadership
Botafogo is ninth in the Brasileirão standings
Match is part of the 13th round of the 2026 Brasileirão

Mentioned in this story

John TextorNilton Santos Stadium

BotafogoInternacionalBrasileirão

📋 Directionless, Botafogo name XI; Inter want to avoid the drop zone

This Saturday (25), at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time), Botafogo and Internacional face off at Nilton Santos Stadium in the opening match of the 13th round of the 2026 Brasileirão.

Amid a serious political crisis behind the scenes at the club, which culminated in John Textor being removed from the SAF's leadership, Glorioso is fighting to keep its internal problems from "taking the field."

In the standings, the Lone Star Team sits in ninth place with 16 points.

Colorado, meanwhile, is struggling in 14th place with 13 points and does not want to risk ending the round in the Z-4, with Corinthians "at the door" on 12 points.

Santos and Cruzeiro have the same 13 points as the team from Rio Grande do Sul, but a worse goal difference (-2 x -3 x -5), which is why they sit in 15th and 16th place, respectively.

Compared to the last match (a 1-0 win over Chapecoense in the Copa do Brasil), coach Franclim Carvalho opted to bring in Barboza, Alex Telles, Medina, Edenilson and Arthur Cabral in place of Bastos, Caio Roque, Allan, Montoro and Kadir Barria, respectively, for Botafogo.

As for Inter, coming off a 2-1 win over Athletic-MG, also in the national tournament, coach Paulo Pezzolano chose to start Victor Gabriel and Carbonero in place of Gabriel Mercado and Alan Patrick, respectively.