Here we go! Ex-Chelsea wizard lands in Brazil for shock South American switch
From Amsterdam to London, Doha to Casablanca, and now Rio de Janeiro: Hakim Ziyech's nomadic career is adding a Brazilian chapter.
Details: Fabrizio Romano gives the here we go: the Moroccan star lands in Brazil on Tuesday to sign as a new Botafogo player. The deal is completed after Ziyech left Wydad Casablanca as a free agent, with a contract reportedly running until December 2028.
The 33 year old's Wydad adventure ended sourly: a public dispute with the new management over his salary saw him banished from the training camp and left out of squads before both sides agreed to terminate by mutual consent on Sunday. Even then, the Brazil move nearly collapsed, Ziyech hesitated at the last minute after a warning from Morocco teammate Zakaria Labyad about the state of Brazilian pitches, despite having already recorded his presentation video and booked his flight. Botafogo kept pushing, and the persistence paid off ahead of the September 11 deadline. The Copa Libertadores holders of 2024 sit a modest 13th in the Brasileirao and desperately need the magic of a man whose left foot once lit up the Champions League with Ajax and won it with Chelsea.
It's worth noting that Ziyech scored 8 goals in 12 Botola Pro appearances last season, proof that even amid the chaos in Casablanca, his quality never dipped.
Reminder: Cherif Ndiaye announces his retirement from international football.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
