April 21 – World governing body FIFA has once again banned Brazilian club Botafogo from player trading because of transfer debts owed to Bulgarian club Ludogorets.
Botafogo have been slapped with a ban for three transfer windows because they failed to pay Ludogorets for the transfer of Rwan Cruz, who arrived in February 2025 for a fee of €8m. He was later loaned to Real Salt Lake and then loaned back to Ludogorets.
It’s not the first time that Botafogo have faced a transfer ban. Last year, FIFA imposed a ban after the Brazilian club failed to pay Atlanta United FC a $21m transfer fee for Thiago Almada. It was later lifted.
A Rio court order has also prevented Botafogo from selling players as the judge invoked non-compliance with a November ruling in which owner John Textor could only sell assets if he notified the court and the social club.
On Monday, Botafogo were due to hold a general assembly, but it was then postponed. Textor, a US businessman, is fighting for his survival at the Brazilian club, having promised investment of R$ 125 million.
Botafogo are currently part of Textor’s Eagle Football group. But Textor has been sidelined by rival shareholders, who appointed administrators Cork Gully to run the company.
Last week, Cork Gully published an advert in the Financial Times putting all the football clubs in the group – Botafogo, RWD Molenbeek and Lyon – up for sale.
Brazilian outlet O Globo report that Textor intends to file a request for judicial recovery in a bid to separate Botafogo from Eagle and buy it for himself, but both Eagle and the social club of Botafogo have opposed the move.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at [email protected]