Bellão: "The greatest achievement is the transformation of mentality"

Botafogo 's under-20 team did everything right last Sunday (9), right in Gávea. After all, they eliminated Flamengo in the Carioca Championship semi-final with a resounding 5-1 aggregate score, positioned themselves as finalists in the State Championship and finally secured a place in the next Copa do Brasil. Glorioso's coach, Rodrigo Bellão, celebrated the achievement on his social media.

"We're in the final of the Campeonato Carioca and we've secured our spot in next year's Copa do Brasil in the Under-20 category. But the greatest achievement, for me, is the transformation of our mentality and our spirit. Botafogo is made of people. Of human beings. People who work and fight. It's a club forged in courage. Living here every day, you can feel that every day," Bellão pointed out.

Botafogo hadn't reached a Carioca Sub-20 final since 2020, when they lost to Vasco, ironically, the same team they face in this upcoming final. This presents a chance for revenge.

Botafogo hadn't participated in the Copa do Brasil in that category since 2021, when they also finished as runners-up. On that occasion, the Alvinegro lost the title to Coritiba.

"When I arrived at Botafogo in February, I thought about and planned many things. The main one was to put the club on the 'top shelf,' and for that, I needed to secure a spot in the Copa do Brasil and compete in as many national competitions as possible," said the under-20 coach.

Follow our content on social media: Bluesky, Threads, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .