Botafogo have slashed ticket prices to as low as five reais for their Copa Sudamericana clash against Cienciano after suffering a 6-1 defeat in Cusco.
The Brazilian club dismissed their head coach following the heavy first-leg loss in Peru, leaving the squad facing a complex crisis as they prepare for the return leg at the Estadio Nilton Santos.
Supporters of the Rio de Janeiro team expressed intense frustration toward the squad after the five-goal margin in the opening match. In response to the unrest, club management decided to drastically lower ticket prices to rally home crowd support for the decisive second leg.
Tickets for the North and South stands have been made available starting from 5 reais, which equals approximately 3.25 Peruvian soles. In other sections of the stadium, seats can be purchased for 30 reais, or roughly 19 soles.
Botafogo facing five-goal aggregate deficit
The return match between Botafogo and Cienciano is scheduled for Thursday, August 20, at the Estadio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Peruvian time.
Cienciano, managed by Horacio Melgarejo, hold a five-goal advantage in the aggregate tie after their decisive victory on home soil. Botafogo need to win by an identical five-goal margin in the second leg to force a penalty shootout and keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
Tournament background and match broadcasting
The Copa Sudamericana is South America's secondary annual international club football competition, organized by CONMEBOL, ranking just below the Copa Libertadores. Teams compete in home-and-away knockout series to secure progression to the quarter-finals.
Botafogo are one of Brazil's major top-flight football clubs, playing their home fixtures at the Estadio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro. Their opponents, Club Cienciano, are based in the high-altitude Andean city of Cusco, Peru, and famously won the Copa Sudamericana title in 2003.
Television coverage for the second leg will be carried by DSports, which holds the official broadcast rights for the Copa Sudamericana tournament. Additional minute-by-minute coverage will be made available by La Republica Deportes.
