Horacio Melgarejo Fires Back at Botafogo Over Tunnel Incident Accusations

Cienciano's trip to the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals should be the headline. Instead, what lingered after the matchup with Botafogo was the tunnel incident at Nilton Santos Stadium and a war of words that still hasn't cooled off. Horacio Melgarejo decided to step in, calm things down, and explain, in his own way, what actually happened.

The Argentine coach posted a lengthy statement on social media after Botafogo, through captain Alex Telles, accused him of "disrespecting" the Brazilian club. Melgarejo denied it all, saying neither he, his coaching staff, nor his players sought out the conflict that broke out after the final whistle of the round of 16 second leg.

"First off: there was no provocation or incitement of any kind from me, my coaching staff, or my players. We didn't seek out the conflict, we didn't fuel it, and we didn't respond to it. Once things got out of hand, my only reaction was to step back and leave the field with my players, precisely so it wouldn't escalate further. The footage is out there for everyone to see and it speaks for itself," the coach wrote.

The other side of the controversy stems from earlier comments that went viral in Brazil. After Cienciano's 6-1 win in the first leg, Melgarejo asked reporters not to ask him "why his team didn't score more goals." That remark, taken out of context, ended up being read as a direct jab at Botafogo. The coach himself clarified that he was actually responding to a specific exchange with local reporters about Cienciano's past results in the Sudamericana, and that it had nothing to do with the opponent.

"None of my earlier comments were directed at Botafogo, its players, or its fans. What I said in that press conference was a response to questions about my own team and my own work, in a context that had nothing to do with the opponent. I never mentioned Botafogo with any intent to offend, because that was never the intention or the target. If those words got translated or clipped and were read differently, I regret the misunderstanding, but I want to make clear they were never a message aimed at them," he added.

Telles' Version

On the other side, Alex Telles held nothing back when he spoke after the incident. The Brazilian defender was the one who put into words the frustration felt throughout Botafogo's squad.

He spoke with arrogance, and even in the first leg he said not to ask him why they didn't score more goals.Alex Telles

Beyond the exchange of accusations, Melgarejo chose to close his statement on a conciliatory note. He said he understood "the frustration" felt by Botafogo's players over not being able to turn the tie around, which makes sense given the gap left by the aggregate score. He closed with a fitting wish: that this matchup be remembered for Cienciano's sporting achievement in knocking out one of Brazil's biggest clubs, not for what happened in the tunnel after the final whistle.