Ancelotti has suffered his first major setback as the new Botafogo manager after his side were eliminated from the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals, losing a penalty shootout to rivals Vasco da Gama. Speaking to the media, the former Real Madrid assistant described the feeling as a “great disappointment” for the club.
The defeat ends Botafogo’s hopes of domestic cup silverware this season in heartbreaking fashion. After a 1-1 draw at the Nilton Santos Stadium, Ancelotti’s side lost 5-3 on penalties. The manager believed his team “deserved to win the game” based on their performance, particularly in the second half, but lamented a familiar lack of a clinical edge.
With their elimination from the Copa do Brasil, Botafogo now have only one competition left for the remainder of the 2025 season. Their entire focus must now be on their performance in the Brazilian top-flight.
Speaking on the disappointment, Ancelotti said: “Now it’s a feeling of great disappointment, first of all. Everyone feels sorry for the lost opportunity, for the fans, for the celebration they threw, for the support they gave the team throughout the match. So now it’s a moment of great disappointment for us. We had two very even, very balanced games. Today I think we were a little better than in the away game against them, but the knockout… The knockout is like that. But we had to win today, so we’re very disappointed.” I don’t think there’s much to say today. We played well, we dominated the game. Today we recovered the ball closer to the attack, we played better, but it wasn’t enough.”
Adding on the rest of the season and objective for the next season, he added: “We have to put on a good performance. We have a clear objective: to secure the Libertadores and Copa do Brasil for next year. The fans will believe again if the team plays well. We have to regain confidence because today was a hard blow for us. We have to keep working, not think too far ahead. We have to take it game by game, and do well in the competition we have, which is the Brazilian Championship.”
The immediate task for Ancelotti is to lift his players and refocus on their league campaign, where they currently sit fifth. The club’s primary objective is now to secure qualification for next season’s continental competitions, including the Copa Libertadores. Botafogo have a quick turnaround as they travel to face São Paulo in a crucial league fixture on Sunday.
