Brazilian leaders Botafogo confirm Bruno Lage as Castro replacement
Portuguese coaching influence over the Campeonato Brasileiro remains consistent as leaders Botafogo reached an agreement for Bruno Lage to replace recently-departed boss Luís Castro.
Castro left the Rio de Janeiro club earlier this month to take up a lucrative over from Saudi Arabians Al Nassr, but Botafogo have moved quickly to raid Portugal again for his successor, with Lage issued a contract until December 2023.
The deal includes the appointment of five members of Lage’s technical team: Alexandre Silva, Carlos Cachada and Luís Nascimento as coaches, while Jhony Conceição and Diogo Camacho take roles as analysts. Botafogo are currently top of Brasileirão, surprisingly many in what is their second season back in the top flight after promotion in 2021.
Lage has been out of work since leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers last October. An intriguing aspect of his move to South America is the reported promise of Botafogo owner John Textor to move him to one of the other clubs in which he owns a majority stake - Lyon in France and Crystal Palace in England – should he succeed in Brazil.
The appointment boosts the number of Luso managers in the Brazilian league back to seven. Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras), Pepa (Cruzeiro), Pedro Caixinha (RB Bragantino), António Oliveira (Cuiabá), Renato Paiva (Bahia) and Armando Evangelista (Goiás).
By Sean Gillen