Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo played to a 1-1 draw on Sunday at Arena MRV in a match corresponding to the 15th round of the Brazilian Championship. After the game, midfielder Alexsander addressed the off-field rumors that circulated throughout the week.
In recent days, speculation emerged that the player was “difficult to get along with” and did not maintain good relationships with people at the Cidade do Galo training complex. Alexsander rejected the accusations, stating they are nothing but lies.
“Another lie from those people who like to talk about me. I’ve said in another interview that I don’t care about these things, I try to focus on my work and show it on the field. If I’m playing and winning, people create nothing. I’m going to stop paying attention to this,” Alexsander said.
“I also ask the fans to ignore it. If it were true, do you think Galo wouldn’t take action? It’s complicated, people keep making up these stories. They call themselves Galo fans and ‘influencers,’ but they are really here to disrupt the environment, not to support. I have to work and show my worth on the pitch,” the midfielder concluded.
The first half was lively, with Atletico dominating, creating the best chances, and controlling the match. In the 23rd minute, a quick counterattack saw Cassierra open the scoring for Galo. After conceding, Botafogo had more possession but struggled to turn it into clear opportunities.
In the second half, Botafogo pushed forward in search of an equalizer but again found it difficult to create plays. Atletico showed defensive solidity and exploited counterattacks well. Despite some pressure from the home side, Botafogo managed to level the score in the final moments. Arthur Cabral found the net to make it 1-1.
