2000s, Botafogo had been on the merge of relegation in the Brazilian Championship. Poor campaigns were held in 1999 – when the club escaped thanks to points won in Superior Court of Sport Justice due to the Sandro Hiroshi case – in 2000 and 2001. Relegation eventually happened in 2002. Weak teams, late salaries, poor administrative management, low attendance at stadiums, and the beginning of repressive movements of organized fans were hallmarks of this dramatic period in the Glorioso's history. Before the 2002 Brazilian Championship, Botafogo suffered with the departure of several players before the beginning of the competition. The team that in other years was led by Rodrigo and Dodô, among others, had as highlights defender Sandro and midfielder Galeano. Coached for most of the championship by Ivo Wortmann, the team failed to consolidate itself and, already under the command of Carlos Alberto Torres, who took over in the last matches of the competition, it was relegated after losing to São Paulo 1–0, with a goal by Dill. At the end of that year, the presidential term of Mauro Ney Palmeiro ended, and he was replaced by Bebeto de Freitas, a former athlete and volleyball coach. With debts with players and businessmen, no place to train, no sponsors, and no stadium that could support its fans, in addition to players asking not to play for the club anymore, Botafogo was going through its biggest crisis ever. The 2003 Carioca Championship was used as a test, but the team did not qualify for the semi-finals. In the B Series, Botafogo started its trajectory by losing to Vila Nova, in Goiânia, by 2–1. The first victory would only come in the third round, away from home, against CRB, by 3–0. During the competition, the club came to lead the championship but finished second place in the first phase. In the second phase, it was again in second place in its group, behind Marília. In the final quadrangular against Palmeiras, Marília, and Sport, Glorioso gained access to the A Series with a round in advance, after defeating Marília by 3–1, at Caio Martins. At the end of the competition, the team led by players like Sandro, Túlio Guerreiro, Valdo, and Leandrão finished as runners-up. In 2004, the club's centennial year, the team again had poor campaigns, being eliminated early in the Carioca Championship and the Brazil Cup. In the main Series of