Mazzocco gets emotional as he bids farewell, praises John Textor and says: “Botafogo have put together a champion team and will fight again for everything.”

In a long and emotional statement in the press room of the Nilton Santos Stadium, after the victory over Sampaio Correa in the Rio Cup, the football director said: Andre Mazzocco He said goodbye to Botafogo. Claiming family problems, the manager accepted an offer from Athletico-PR, to return to his hometown, Curitiba.

Watch Mazuko's statement:

– I would first like to consolidate the honor of being one of the people who had the opportunity to lead Botafogo, a historic and wonderful club, a club whose importance is known only to those who lived, for example, what I lived for two intense years. It's my career. I want to express all my gratitude to John, the special man, above the curve, who trusted my work, trusted me to start this dream, this project as the first SAF in the Brazilian Series A, I received this gift from him.

– It is a club that, when we arrived, had hope, but the people who joined us were confident that things would happen. I am very proud that we were able to do this. I was honored to bring the brother that football has given me, Alessandro Brito, an amazing man, with a wonderful family, who agreed to come with me, and without him nothing would have happened as it did. We had chemistry that was hard to come by. Ali is my older football brother. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

– Botafogo is in good hands, it is a unified project as it is. We always want the club not to depend on people, and Botafogo relies on good, competent people to run what Botafogo has become during this period, which is a great club to work for, with good, loyal people who did everything they could. For Botafogo to reach the group stage of the Libertadores today, a goal that may not have been very close, but they managed to finish 11th in the first year and 5th in the second year and achieve everything we have achieved, the signings… I say with great pride that Botafogo has assembled a champion team He will fight again for everything.

My gratitude to John when I arrive is the same as when I leave, it's a very special decision. I would like to say a big thank you to my wife Aline, who always accompanies me on these adventures, and my son Vicente. Family should always come first and I'm glad we can manage these adventures together. The time has come when we needed to make a decision and I am happy that Botafogo is having a great moment with Fabio who is doing a great job. I would just like to thank John for the sensitivity he showed upon leaving. John was never a boss, he was an inspiration throughout his time in the SAF. He will continue to be a friend, a mentor and a man of vision, and I love him passionately, because what he has done with us, with my family, with each one of us, is very rare in football.

– I say goodbye with great joy. I'm sure Botafogo fans are happier today, Botafogo is in good hands, the project is continuing, Botafogo will grow and I will be very happy with it wherever I am.

– I want to thank all the employees, when we arrived in March 2022, we did not create any management shock in football, but rather we gave the people who were here better working conditions, and I think this made us one family. Botafogo should be a good team as people are happy to be here. We have examples of athletes who have come and gone, with changes in their lives that we have been able to provide, Gevinho, Adrilsson, Peri, Victor Sa… These are athletes who have come through and come out well. This is Botafogo, it should be a team that people want to come here.

– The amount has not settled yet, that's why I talk a lot, but I want to thank everyone in the press, the people who cover Botafogo, we always have natural strikers, which is part of the job (laughs), but this is part of the game and the coexistence has always been very good. He told the fans to always support Botafogo, and be happy for Botafogo, which will push Botafogo to achieve great things.

– I want to remember that Botafogo is one of them. Botafogo is football, and people should remember that Botafogo was created to win titles in Brazilian and international football. Botafogo is on the right track. I'm happy with my period, I'm lucky in these two years, I leave happy, in football we always want it to be 'see you later', but I thank everyone. Botafogo has changed its level and will not go down from this level again.

– I pay tribute to Adriano Colares, our supervisor, it is not easy to be at the club for 20 years, but he is a man who lives in Botafogo, and this is a small tribute. And it extends to everyone. Thank you Botafogo. Thank you, fans, for being a part of Lone Star. This is what I will carry throughout my life.