Botafogo majority shareholder John Textor said he dismissed head coach Renato Paiva because the Portuguese manager abandoned the attacking philosophy that had prompted his February appointment. In an interview with UK broadcaster TalkSPORT on 10 July, the US businessman said Paiva “broke his own principles” and became increasingly defensive over the club’s last ten matches, including the 1–0 extra-time defeat to Palmeiras that knocked Botafogo out of the FIFA Club World Cup on 28 June. Paiva left with 12 wins, three draws and eight losses in 23 games, a 56.5 percent success rate. The coach had overseen a marquee 1–0 group-stage victory against Paris Saint-Germain but, according to Textor, failed to replicate that proactive approach in subsequent fixtures. Textor added that department-wide concerns about the team’s style culminated in the June 30 decision to dismiss the 54-year-old manager. Speaking earlier, Paiva attributed his exit to what he described as Textor’s attempts to influence team selection, saying he was informed of his dismissal without a detailed meeting on the rationale. Botafogo have since hired Davide Ancelotti, son of Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is expected to take charge for the club’s Brazilian league match against Vasco da Gama this weekend.