Botafogo Owner Calls for Replay of 6 Brasileirão Games Over Match-Fixing Claims

John Textor, the owner of Botafogo, has filed a petition to Brazil’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) to nullify the results of the last six games of the Brasileirão Série A, the top-flight football league in Brazil, as per The Athletic.

Textor wants a replay of the games, claiming that corruption and match-fixing robbed his team of the championship title.

But the court didn’t buy his story and rejected his petition the next day. The court said that Textor’s claims were “subjective and inconsistent” and that there was no evidence of any foul play.

Textor is not giving up, though. He still doubts the fairness of the refs in the recent game between Botafogo and Palmeiras. His team was leading 3-0 at halftime, but Palmeiras came back and scored four goals in the second half. Three of those goals came after a Botafogo player was sent off in the 76th minute.

This match was crucial for the title race: Palmeiras clinched the trophy, while Botafogo ended up in a disappointing fifth place. The gap between the two teams was a mere six points.

John Textor, however, is not throwing in the towel and accepting the STJD ruling. He plans to take the fight to the next level by suing the Brazilian Football Confederation. That’s the next step in his fight for justice.