Owners of Vasco and Botafogo draw attention to the different styles in managing the SAFs

The first classic between Botafogo and Vasco in the SAF era will have at least two important spectators in Miami, in the United States: John Textor and Josh Wander. The two are the owners of the companies that will play in Maracanã.

The Florida sun has different effects on them. Textor conveys a certain Latinity, is extravagant, likes to be in the spotlight. On the eve of completing one year in Botafogo, he has already been seen at parties in Rio, distributes interviews to influencers and rebuts criticism on social media in the best style of someone who doesn’t shy away from a public discussion.

Wander is quieter. There are few interviews granted, practically no interaction on Twitter or Instagram. It refers to the sunny American state for not giving up a necessary accessory for the hottest days: the cap. Not even when he wears a suit and tie, or when he visits the latest acquisition of the company where he is a founding partner, 777 Partners. It was like that at least with Vasco.

The two landed in Rio with the same promises: to bring money for two heavy jerseys, but in low, and to make Botafogo and Vasco return to the sports glory days.

Around R$ 73 million have already been invested in hiring reinforcements for alvinegro. In Colina’s team, this value is R$ 108 million. Not to mention the investments in infrastructure in both teams.

But the ways they conduct business reinforce the differences between them.

Textor is more centralizing. The American participates more directly in a series of decisions related to football. An example of this was the fact that he himself led Jeffinho’s departure to Lyon, in France.

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Another case was his coming to Rio in an attempt to convince midfielder João Gomes to transfer to the French team, which is also part of his network of clubs, and not to Wolverhampton. He was at the CT at Ninho do Urubu to talk to the then Flamengo player.

Something similar is impossible to happen with Josh Wander. The head of 777 Partners created an arm of the company, the 777 Football Group, to manage the teams. The organization chart is complex, with different directors responsible for routine decisions, such as selling and buying a player. Questions like this do not pass Wander.

The American prefers to deal with more global issues related to Vasco, such as the formation of a league of Brazilian clubs, possible to happen in the coming years. In this case, he has already been in contact with Textor. Both are supporters of the idea.

Another agenda addressed was the issue of Maracanã management. Textor has no interest in getting into this fight, which already has Flamengo and Fluminense, and it remains for 777, in the person of director Juan Arciniegas, to talk to the government of Rio about the bidding process.

In common between them, the recent interest in “soccer”. And the growth of its club networks beyond the acquisitions of Botafogo and Vasco. Since taking over Alvinegro’s football, Textor has also bought Molenbeek, from Belgium, and Lyon. He has tried unsuccessfully to acquire Benfica from Portugal.

Wander also deals with a failed acquisition, that of Sevilla-ESP. 777 Partners bought a minority of the shares and when it advanced to have the majority, it was stopped by the Spanish shareholders. Before Vasco, he bought Genoa-ITA. It then accelerated acquisitions, taking over Standard Liége-BEL, Red Star-FRA and Melbourne Victory-AUS. It is currently in the process of purchasing Hertha Berlin-ALE.