Botafogo's fifth position in 2016 was a decent one and that spot earned them the Copa Libertadores ticket as well. The team from Rio de Janeiro had ambitions at the start of the new season due to their 2016 campaign, but Botafogo somehow failed to really push for glory again. Jair Ventura, actually one of the few managers in the Serie A who didn't get sacked during the season, just wasn't able to close that gap with the top spots. This was actually quite disappointing for the fans and they showed their frustration as well.
The Copa Libertadores came to an end for Botafogo when they faced Gremio in the quarter-final. The elimination let this outfit focus on the Serie A again, but Jair Ventura's men just weren't able to show their class during the deciding weeks of the season, which was truly disappointing for this outfit. The Rio de Janeiro side could have pushed for a Copa Libertadores ticket near the end of the season, but the crisis continued until the very end. Botafogo only managed to record two wins in their last eleven Serie A matches, which was fatal to say the least. This outfit only conceded 42 goals in 38 matches, but the attacking part of the team lacked creativity to push for a high amount of goals. Botafogo only managed to bag 45 goals throughout the season.
