Michael Batson

The Botafogo area of Rio de Janeiro sits in the shadow of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) and is squeezed between the fabulously named Flamengo and Gloria to the north, and Copacabana and Ipanema in the south. Aside from stunning geography and beautiful beaches Botafogo is home to one of Rio’s most famous football teams, one of the city’s big four. The football club was founded in 1904 but the first sports club there was a rowing club founded late the century before. Some others of Rio’s big clubs also began life on the water like Flamengo and Vasco da Gama (whose full names also reflect their maritime origins), before branching out into other sports, most famously football. Because its exploits began on water, Botafogo became the first sports club in Brazil to be champions across three centuries: first in rowing, then football, and then rowing again. Botafogo FC are also known for the famous players who donned their distinctive colours and for their place in history as having two of their sons managing, one after the other in the same year, the greatest team ever to win the World Cup. All this from the team by the bay in Rio de Janeiro dubbed the Great Fire, the Glorious, and the Lone Star, from the club also known as the Universidade de Futebul, the University of Football. The club is famous in Brazil (Brazil is the English spelling whereas Brasil is the Portuguese) for the many records it has set: going the most games unbeaten (52), the most unbeaten in the