Botafogo eyes Horacio Melgarejo, the coach who knocked it out of the Sudamericana

A few months ago, almost nobody outside Cusco knew who Horacio Melgarejo was. Today, a Brazilian club is knocking on his door. That's how fast things change in South American soccer when a small team hurts a big one.

The 53-year-old Argentine knocked Botafogo out of the Copa Sudamericana while in charge of Cienciano, with a resounding 6-2 aggregate score. That result not only sent the Cusco club into the quarterfinals, it also put Melgarejo's name on the radar across South America. And the irony is enormous: the very club he eliminated now wants him to be its coach.

Botafogo is going through an uncomfortable stretch. Currently without a manager and sitting in 12th place in the Brasileirao with 30 points, "Fogao" needs a change of course. And the curious part is that the club has decided to look at the very coach who cut short its Sudamericana run.

A contract in the way

Melgarejo's contract situation is not simple. He has a deal with Cienciano through the end of 2026, so any serious approach from Botafogo would first have to go through direct negotiations with the Cusco club's front office. There's no quick exit available: standing in the way are a clause, a club that doesn't want to lose its breakout coach, and a Brazilian institution that needs to sort out its bench as soon as possible.

If the deal were to go through, it would be a huge leap in the career of a coach who arrived in Peru almost by chance, as an assistant to Angel Comizzo at Universitario. His first experience leading a coaching staff came in 2025 with ADT, a club that made him known both for his results and for controversial comments that cost him a suspension or two. Even so, he came close to getting the Tarma-based side into the Sudamericana, a track record that explains why Cienciano decided to bet on him shortly after.

Despite the noise surrounding his future and the real possibility of making the jump to Brazilian soccer, following earlier stints in Spain and Peruvian soccer, the coach remains focused on the task at hand: improving Cienciano's form in Liga 1 and, above all, preparing for the Sudamericana quarterfinal clash against Montevideo City Torque.

That match will, in a way, be the real测试 of where he stands. Before thinking about Brazil, Melgarejo still has a story to write on the Cusco bench, with a decision on his future for the 2027 season waiting on the horizon.