It’s no secret Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor has been pretty busy in Brazil recently, as following his takeover of Botafogo, he’s setting things up to get the Rio de Janeiro side on the right track.
Things are going well for him so far, as following promotion to the first division last season, they are now fourth in the league table after six fixtures. And last night’s 3-1 win over Fortaleza meant a lot to him.
Textor had a word with Globo when leaving the pitch, and was only asked to talk about Botafogo fans. His comments on the supporters ended up being an emotional moment for him, as the businessman was left in tears.
“We don’t have this anywhere in the world that I’ve been. I mean, they say that the Premier League in England is the best league in the world. They don’t love, love, love their clubs this way,” Textor told Globo.
“It’s so effusive. It’s incredible. I just fills me up with joy every time I watch them. And everybody feels it, it’s not just me. We need to show this to the world. That’s why I’m here, I think.
“It’s hard to sit here. These people have wanted something for so long. And they work so hard, they deserve this. They love this club. And I love that they trusted me with it. It’s amazing.”
John Textor has already made it clear that Botafogo and Crystal Palace are completely different businesses for him, but the signs of a potential partnership have already been shown, with Brazilian officials travelling to London and then the clubs working on deals together.
So it’s fair to say Botafogo’s success could only be good for the Selhurst Park side, as perhaps a new Brazilian gem could quickly be spotted by the London side.
