New Botafogo investor Gabriel de Alba arrives in Rio

Businessman Gabriel de Alba, owner of GDA Luma, landed in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday morning. He has signed a binding agreement to become the new majority shareholder of Botafogo's SAF, taking over from John Textor.

During his first visit to the club, de Alba intends to meet with SAF leadership to align the strategic investment plan and familiarize himself with the club's facilities and staff. He is expected to visit the Nilton Santos stadium this Thursday for the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 second-leg match against Peruvian side Cienciano.

The arrival of de Alba marks a critical juncture for Botafogo, which is currently facing a severe financial crisis and is undergoing judicial recovery. In July, the club received a 15 million dollar capital injection to settle debts and manage cash flow. A total of 400 million reais is expected to be invested to restructure the project.

Gabriel de Alba is known for his career in corporate crisis management, specializing in acquiring distressed debt and reorganizing companies. His past work includes the restructuring of entities like Frontera Energy and Cirque du Soleil.