for extra games, there was no champion. The end of 1964 marked theitsfarewell of Nilton Santos, who was retiring from football. With 721 games for Glorioso, and having never played for a team other than the Brazilian National team, the left-back played his last match for Botafogo in a 1–0 victory against Flamengo. In 1965, another departure: Haunted by a lot of pain in his right knee, Garrincha could no longer play his best football. The year before, the number 7 had decided to have surgery on his meniscus to try to solve the problem. However, the player chose to have the operation done by America's doctor, which caused dissatisfaction among the black-and-white team's managers. The relationship between club and idol was no longer the same, and in September 1965, Garrincha played his last match for Botafogo, in a 2–1 victory against Portuguesa-RJ. Even with the departure of its greatest idols, Botafogo continued its winning trajectory: With two victories over Santos, it won the Círculo de Periódicos Esportivos Cup in 1966. In the same year, it also won the Carranza Cup in Buenos Aires. At the end of the decade, the team won the Caracas Triangular Trophy three times, in 1967, 1968, and 1970, as well as the Mexico Hexagonal Tournament in 1968. In 1967 and 1968, coached by Zagallo, the black-and-whites were twice champions of the Guanabara Cup and the Carioca Championship, with historic victories over America, Bangu, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo. In 1969, Botafogo was the champion of the 1968 Brazil Cup. More than 30 years later, the Brazilian Football Confederation recognized the tournament as an edition of the Brazilian Championship, and the achievement became considered the club's first Brazilian title. 1970s and 1980s: 21 years of drama For 21 years, Botafogo did not win any official title. From the Brazil Cup of 1968 until the Carioca Championship of 1989, the club collected runner-up finishes, third and fourth positions. The final stretch of the 1971 Carioca Championship was negatively marked. Botafogo had four players who had won the World Cup the previous year (Carlos Alberto Torres, Brito, Paulo César Caju, and Jairzinho), and dominated the competition, with a clear lead over second-placed Fluminense. However, the black-and-whites stumbled in the last rounds and were unable to secure the title beforehand. In the last match, against Fluminense, Botafogo needed at least a draw. At 43 minutes of the second