SC Braga
Encyclopedia
Sporting Clube de Braga (ˈspɔɾtĩɡ ˈklube de ˈbɾaɡɐ) , commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese
sports club
, from the city of Braga
. Its football
team plays at the AXA Stadium
, also known as The Quarry
, which was built for UEFA Euro 2004. In the 2000s, the club gradually became one of Portugal's most successful clubs after the Big Three
and have also competed with some success in European competitions, winning the last ever UEFA Intertoto Cup
in 2008 and reaching the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2011. After finishing in second place for the only time to date in the 2009-10 Portuguese Liga, Sporting de Braga achieved a place in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League
for the first time in its history by eliminating Celtic FC and Sevilla FC
. Sporting de Braga is currently sponsored by Italian
sportswear company Macron
.
's shield with Mother Mary and baby Jesus
with the blue from the city's shield changed to red. On the top of the emblem is the golden Mural Crown of Braga, with the name Sporting Clube de Braga on it. Many fans of Braga have said that Mother Mary gives them luck. The fans of Braga are known as Arsenalistas due to their team home kit that resembles that of English club Arsenal
. They are also known as Bracarenses because of being from the city of Bracari
, later named Bracara Augusta, city of Portugal that is now known as Braga.
Aside from the loyalty of its supporters, the Minho derby against Vitória de Guimarães is a match that both sets of fans eagerly await. This match is more than football, it is a way people from the north view each city. The derby is one of Portugal's most intense matches, and children under 13 are restricted from entering unless an adult is with them. The rivalry goes back to when the City of Braga was the ancient capital of Gallaecia
and the largest Portguese city by the time the Kingdom of Portugal
was formed by Afonso I of Portugal
. At that time, Guimarães
became the seat of the King and nobility, whereas Braga
remained the centre of religious power (seat of the Archbishop, the Primate of all Spains).
's first full season in the club. This marked the beginning of their rise in success both in the League and Europe. In the 2005–06, they challenged for the championship until the penultimate round, ending fourth. In 2006–07, Portuguese up-and-coming manager Carlos Carvalhal became manager of the club and started with a poor start to the season, losing to AZ in the UEFA Cup
despite crushing Czech Republic
champions Slovan Liberec 4–0 (who had drawn against Sevilla
only a week before), and a 4–1 loss to Madeira
n side Marítimo. These losses proved to be the end of his season, despite success in European competitions, with an overall score of 3–2 against Italian
club Chievo in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Carvalhal resigned and was replaced with Rogério Gonçalves
with former Portugal
captain Jorge Costa
as assistant manager of the club. Gonçalves' first game in charge couldn't have gone better with a 3–1 over Benfica and a week after a hard-fought loss against UEFA Cup
and UEFA Super Cup champions Sevilla in the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
. After a 1–0 away defeat to União de Leiria in a league match on 18 February 2007, Gonçalves resigned. Braga president António Salvador
announced on the same day that assistant manager Jorge Costa would be in charge until the end of the 2006–07 season. In his first game, Braga beat Parma
1–0 (2–0 on aggregate). They then played Tottenham Hotspur
, where they lost 6–4 on aggregate in the last 16. Braga eventually finished fourth in the league for the third successive time, just beating Belenenses by a point on the last day.
During the summer of June 2007, it was presented that AXA
would be the club's sponsors in a multi-million dollar deal in which the name of the stadium was changed to Estádio AXA, with this being the first in Portugal.
After the 2006–07 season, Braga qualified for the UEFA Cup
, where they faced Hammarby IF
. Despite losing the first leg in Sweden
2–1, Braga won at home 4–0 to qualify to the group stage for the third consecutive time. There, their first game was against Bolton Wanderers
where the game finished 1–1. Braga then played German
giants Bayern Munich
, who were the favourites to win the competition; despite the negative feedback, Braga drew 1–1 with Roland Linz
scoring the vital goal. After that impressive display, Braga faced Aris
with another 1–1 draw, with Linz scoring another vital goal for the Minhotos. Braga then went into the last game against Red Star Belgrade
of Serbia
where they picked up a 2–0 victory, which was enough to take them into the next round. They went on to face Werder Bremen
but lost the first leg 3–0, which Braga missed two penalty's, and the second 1–0.
The 2008–09 UEFA Cup
season saw the Minho club go against Bosnian
club HŠK Zrinjski Mostar
, who dropped from the UEFA Champion's League second round. Braga started as favourites and beat Zrinjski Mostar 3–0 on aggregate. In the next phase, the Minho side were paired with Slovak
giants Artmedia Petržalka, who were then beaten 6–0 on aggregate with Albert Meyong scoring a hat-trick
in the process for Braga.
After successfully qualifying for the UEFA Cup
group stage proper for a third successive season, the Portuguese
side were paired with FA Cup
winners Portsmouth
, Italian giants Milan
, Wolfsburg
of Germany
, and Heerenveen of the Netherlands
. Braga started the game at home to Portsmouth and were convincing 3–0 winners with Luis Aguiar scoring from a freekick and setting up the other two goals. This game proved to be Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp
's last game as he then moved to Tottenham Hotspur. In the next group game, Braga faced a daunting task at the San Siro
against the competition favourites Milan. The game finished in a 1–0 defeat for the Portuguese side. Despite the loss, Braga dominated the game for many long periods of time, holding the Italians to 0–0 after 93 minutes, but an individual goal from Ronaldinho
from 35 metres out gave the Italians the full three points. The next game was against Felix Magath
's Wolfsburg where Braga lost 3–2, despite scoring the first two goals. The last game was at the Abe Lenstra Stadion
in the Netherlands against Heerenveen. Braga won the game 2–1 and progressed to the next stage. After getting further in the UEFA Cup than any of their ten fellow winners of the UEFA Intertoto Cup
, Braga were declared the last outright champions of the competition.
In the 2010–2011 season, Braga made their UEFA Champions League
debut at home in a 3–0 win against Celtic
in the first leg of the third qualifying round. They lost the second leg away at Celtic Park
2–1, but went through to the Play-Off round on an aggregate score of 4–2. In the fourth qualifying round, they beat FC Sevilla 1–0 at home and 4–3 away, thus entering the Champions League group stage for the first time. On 15 September 2010, Braga were heavily defeated 6–0 by Arsenal in their first group stage
. On 28 September, Braga lost 3–0 against Shakhtar. On 19 October, Braga won 2–0 against Partizan
. Two weeks later, on 3 November, Braga won 1–0 against Partizan
in Belgrade. On 23 November, Braga beat Arsenal 2–0 at home, keeping their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive if they could better Arsenal's result during the final round of matches. However, on 9 December, Braga lost 2–0 to Shakhtar while Arsenal beat Partizan
3–1. The results meant that Shakhtar and Arsenal progressed to the second round, but Braga finished third in the group to qualify for the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League
, where they would come to eliminate Lech Poznan
, Liverpool and Dynamo Kyiv
to reach the semifinals of the competition. It was the first time Braga reached the quarter-finals, and then the semi-finals of a European competition. It was also the first time three Portuguese clubs reached the Europa League's semi-finals simultaneously. On 28 April, Braga lost 2–1 against Benfica in the first leg of the semi-finals. On 5 May, Braga went on to win the tie in the second leg with a 1–0 home win to reach the Europa League Final 2011
. On 18 May, Braga lost the final 1–0 to Porto.
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Last updated: 15 October 2011
Div. = Division; 1 = Portuguese League; 2DN = Second Division North; Pos. = Position; Pl = Match played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lost; GS = Goal Scored; GA = Goal Against; P = Points
(1994–97), (1998–02) Jesualdo Ferreira
(2003–06) Carlos Carvalhal (2006) Jorge Costa
(2006–07, assistant), (2007) Jorge Jesus (2008–09) Domingos (2009–11) Leonardo Jardim
(2011–)
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
, from the city of Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
. Its football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team plays at the AXA Stadium
Estádio Municipal de Braga
Estádio Municipal de Braga is a football stadium in Braga, Portugal, with an all-seated capacity of 30,154, built in 2003 as the new home for local club Sporting Clube de Braga, and as a UEFA Euro 2004 venue. Its architect was Portuguese Eduardo Souto de Moura...
, also known as The Quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, which was built for UEFA Euro 2004. In the 2000s, the club gradually became one of Portugal's most successful clubs after the Big Three
Big Three (Portugal)
The Big Three is the nickname of the three most successful sports clubs in Portugal. The football teams of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Futebol Clube do Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal have a great rivalry, and are usually the main contenders for the title. They share all but two of the Portuguese...
and have also competed with some success in European competitions, winning the last ever UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
in 2008 and reaching the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2011. After finishing in second place for the only time to date in the 2009-10 Portuguese Liga, Sporting de Braga achieved a place in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the first time in its history by eliminating Celtic FC and Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
. Sporting de Braga is currently sponsored by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
sportswear company Macron
Macron (sportswear)
Macron is an Italian association football, basketball, baseball, rugby, handball, futsal, and volleyball sportswear manufacturer. It has links throughout Europe and its headquarters are located in Crespellano, Italy. It was founded in 1971...
.
History
Braga, who owe their Sporting Clube tag to the better known Sporting Clube de Portugal, after whom they were named, have been known as Arsenal do Minho and changed their kits from green and white to their Arsenal-style red during the 1945–46 (with the reserve squad) and the 1946–47 (with the main team) seasons due to their president José Antunes Guimarães who had business connections in London and was an Arsenal fan (this is one version of the story: the other one says that Josef Szabo, a Hungarian coach who loved Arsenal's playing style asked the president to change the green and white uniform to a Arsenal-style red). In that year (1947) they won the Second division title reaching the First division for the first time. Braga even renamed their youth team Arsenal de Braga. The emblem of Sporting de Braga is the city of BragaBraga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
's shield with Mother Mary and baby Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
with the blue from the city's shield changed to red. On the top of the emblem is the golden Mural Crown of Braga, with the name Sporting Clube de Braga on it. Many fans of Braga have said that Mother Mary gives them luck. The fans of Braga are known as Arsenalistas due to their team home kit that resembles that of English club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. They are also known as Bracarenses because of being from the city of Bracari
Bracari
The Bracari were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, akin to the Calaicians or Gallaeci, living in the northwest of modern Portugal, in the province of Minho, between the rivers Tâmega and Cávado, around the area of the modern city of Braga .Appian wrote they were a very warlike people...
, later named Bracara Augusta, city of Portugal that is now known as Braga.
Aside from the loyalty of its supporters, the Minho derby against Vitória de Guimarães is a match that both sets of fans eagerly await. This match is more than football, it is a way people from the north view each city. The derby is one of Portugal's most intense matches, and children under 13 are restricted from entering unless an adult is with them. The rivalry goes back to when the City of Braga was the ancient capital of Gallaecia
Gallaecia
Gallaecia or Callaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province and an early Mediaeval kingdom that comprised a territory in the north-west of Hispania...
and the largest Portguese city by the time the Kingdom of Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
was formed by Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
. At that time, Guimarães
Guimarães
Guimarães Municipality is located in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the Braga District. It contains the city of Guimarães.The present Mayor is António Magalhães Silva, elected by the Socialist Party.-Parishes:-Economy:...
became the seat of the King and nobility, whereas Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
remained the centre of religious power (seat of the Archbishop, the Primate of all Spains).
European ambitions and recent history
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Braga began to climb up the league ladder and eventually participated in the UEFA Competitions. Braga's recent run of successive European participations began in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, after finishing fifth under Jesualdo FerreiraJesualdo Ferreira
Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira is a Portuguese football manager who currently manages Greek club Panathinaikos.-Early career:In Ferreira's early career, he managed Rio Maior and Torreense...
's first full season in the club. This marked the beginning of their rise in success both in the League and Europe. In the 2005–06, they challenged for the championship until the penultimate round, ending fourth. In 2006–07, Portuguese up-and-coming manager Carlos Carvalhal became manager of the club and started with a poor start to the season, losing to AZ in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
despite crushing Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
champions Slovan Liberec 4–0 (who had drawn against Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
only a week before), and a 4–1 loss to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
n side Marítimo. These losses proved to be the end of his season, despite success in European competitions, with an overall score of 3–2 against Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Chievo in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Carvalhal resigned and was replaced with Rogério Gonçalves
Rogério Gonçalves
Rogério de Sousa Gonçalves is a Portuguese football manager.-Coaching career:Gonçalves started his managerial career off with his local Viana do Castelo club Lanheses in 1990 to 1992, and has moved on to bigger and better clubs from the smaller leagues of Portuguese football to the Liga de Honra...
with former Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
captain Jorge Costa
Jorge Costa
Jorge Paulo Costa Almeida , known as Costa, is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager....
as assistant manager of the club. Gonçalves' first game in charge couldn't have gone better with a 3–1 over Benfica and a week after a hard-fought loss against UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
and UEFA Super Cup champions Sevilla in the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is a stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla Fútbol Club. It was the venue for the 1986 European Cup Final between Steaua Bucureşti and Barcelona and the 1982 World Cup semi-final game between Germany and France.This stadium contains a singular...
. After a 1–0 away defeat to União de Leiria in a league match on 18 February 2007, Gonçalves resigned. Braga president António Salvador
Antonio Salvador
Antonio Salvador is the name of:*António Salvador , Portuguese long-distance runner*Antonio Rodríguez Salvador , poet, fiction writer, dramatist and essayist...
announced on the same day that assistant manager Jorge Costa would be in charge until the end of the 2006–07 season. In his first game, Braga beat Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
1–0 (2–0 on aggregate). They then played Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, where they lost 6–4 on aggregate in the last 16. Braga eventually finished fourth in the league for the third successive time, just beating Belenenses by a point on the last day.
During the summer of June 2007, it was presented that AXA
AXA
AXA S.A. is a French global insurance group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. AXA is a conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and regulations of many different countries. The AXA group of companies engage in life, health and other forms of...
would be the club's sponsors in a multi-million dollar deal in which the name of the stadium was changed to Estádio AXA, with this being the first in Portugal.
After the 2006–07 season, Braga qualified for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, where they faced Hammarby IF
Hammarby IF
Hammarby Fotboll is a Swedish football club based in Johanneshov - just south of Södermalm, the southernmost district of Stockholm city centre...
. Despite losing the first leg in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
2–1, Braga won at home 4–0 to qualify to the group stage for the third consecutive time. There, their first game was against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
where the game finished 1–1. Braga then played German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
giants Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
, who were the favourites to win the competition; despite the negative feedback, Braga drew 1–1 with Roland Linz
Roland Linz
Roland Gunther Linz is an Austrian footballer who plays for FK Austria Wien as a striker.-Early career / Germany:Linz started in the youth teams of local club DSV Leoben...
scoring the vital goal. After that impressive display, Braga faced Aris
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
with another 1–1 draw, with Linz scoring another vital goal for the Minhotos. Braga then went into the last game against Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
where they picked up a 2–0 victory, which was enough to take them into the next round. They went on to face Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
but lost the first leg 3–0, which Braga missed two penalty's, and the second 1–0.
The 2008–09 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
season saw the Minho club go against Bosnian
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
club HŠK Zrinjski Mostar
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar is a football team from the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has been one of the top teams in the country over the years....
, who dropped from the UEFA Champion's League second round. Braga started as favourites and beat Zrinjski Mostar 3–0 on aggregate. In the next phase, the Minho side were paired with Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
giants Artmedia Petržalka, who were then beaten 6–0 on aggregate with Albert Meyong scoring a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the process for Braga.
After successfully qualifying for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
group stage proper for a third successive season, the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
side were paired with FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, Italian giants Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Heerenveen of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Braga started the game at home to Portsmouth and were convincing 3–0 winners with Luis Aguiar scoring from a freekick and setting up the other two goals. This game proved to be Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
's last game as he then moved to Tottenham Hotspur. In the next group game, Braga faced a daunting task at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
against the competition favourites Milan. The game finished in a 1–0 defeat for the Portuguese side. Despite the loss, Braga dominated the game for many long periods of time, holding the Italians to 0–0 after 93 minutes, but an individual goal from Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
from 35 metres out gave the Italians the full three points. The next game was against Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
's Wolfsburg where Braga lost 3–2, despite scoring the first two goals. The last game was at the Abe Lenstra Stadion
Abe Lenstra Stadion
Abe Lenstra Stadion is a football stadium in Heerenveen, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly for the home matches of Eredivisie club Heerenveen.The current capacity is 26,000.-The name Abe Lenstra Stadion:...
in the Netherlands against Heerenveen. Braga won the game 2–1 and progressed to the next stage. After getting further in the UEFA Cup than any of their ten fellow winners of the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
, Braga were declared the last outright champions of the competition.
In the 2010–2011 season, Braga made their UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut at home in a 3–0 win against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in the first leg of the third qualifying round. They lost the second leg away at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
2–1, but went through to the Play-Off round on an aggregate score of 4–2. In the fourth qualifying round, they beat FC Sevilla 1–0 at home and 4–3 away, thus entering the Champions League group stage for the first time. On 15 September 2010, Braga were heavily defeated 6–0 by Arsenal in their first group stage
2010–11 UEFA Champions League group stage
This article details the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League group stage.The group stage featured 32 teams: the 22 automatic qualifiers and the 10 winners of the play-off round ....
. On 28 September, Braga lost 3–0 against Shakhtar. On 19 October, Braga won 2–0 against Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
. Two weeks later, on 3 November, Braga won 1–0 against Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
in Belgrade. On 23 November, Braga beat Arsenal 2–0 at home, keeping their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive if they could better Arsenal's result during the final round of matches. However, on 9 December, Braga lost 2–0 to Shakhtar while Arsenal beat Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
3–1. The results meant that Shakhtar and Arsenal progressed to the second round, but Braga finished third in the group to qualify for the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League
2010–11 UEFA Europa League knockout phase
The knockout phase of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League began on 15 February 2011 and concluded on 18 May 2011 with the final at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Republic of Ireland...
, where they would come to eliminate Lech Poznan
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...
, Liverpool and Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
to reach the semifinals of the competition. It was the first time Braga reached the quarter-finals, and then the semi-finals of a European competition. It was also the first time three Portuguese clubs reached the Europa League's semi-finals simultaneously. On 28 April, Braga lost 2–1 against Benfica in the first leg of the semi-finals. On 5 May, Braga went on to win the tie in the second leg with a 1–0 home win to reach the Europa League Final 2011
2011 UEFA Europa League Final
The 2011 UEFA Europa League Final was a football match played on 18 May 2011 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, which decided the winner of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League...
. On 18 May, Braga lost the final 1–0 to Porto.
Recent seasons
| Season | Portuguese League | Portuguese Cup Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is... |
League Cup | Europe | Notes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | Pts | Competition | Result | ||||
| 2003–04 | First Portuguese Liga The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system... |
5 | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 36 | 38 | 54 | Semi-final | Not held | – | – | |
| 2004–05 | First Portuguese Liga The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system... |
4 | 34 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 45 | 28 | 58 | Quarter-final | UEFA Cup | 1st round | ||
| 2005–06 | First Portuguese Liga The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system... |
4 | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 38 | 22 | 58 | Round of 32 | UEFA Cup | 1st round | ||
| 2006–07 | First Portuguese Liga The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system... |
4 | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 35 | 30 | 50 | Semi-final | UEFA Cup | Round of 16 | ||
| 2007–08 | First Portuguese Liga The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system... |
7 | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 32 | 34 | 41 | Round of 32 | 3rd round | UEFA Cup | Round of 32 | |
| 2008–09 | First Portuguese Liga The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system... |
5 | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 38 | 21 | 50 | Round of 32 | 2nd round | UEFA Cup | Round of 16 | |
|-
!2009–10
2009–10 Portuguese Liga
The 2009–10 Portuguese Liga season, officially known as the Liga Sagres due to sponsorship reasons, was the 76th season of top-tier football in Portugal. It began on 16 August 2009 and ended on 9 May 2010...
|First
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
| bgcolor=silver|2
| 30 || 22 || 5 || 3 || 48 || 20 || 71
| Quarter-final
| 3rd round
| Europa League
| 3rd qualifying round
|
|-
!2010–11
|First
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
| 4
| 30 || 13 || 7 || 10 || 45 || 33 || 46
| Round of 32
| 3rd round
| Europa League
| bgcolor=silver|Runners-up
2011 UEFA Europa League Final
The 2011 UEFA Europa League Final was a football match played on 18 May 2011 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, which decided the winner of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League...
|
|-
!2011–12
2011–12 Primeira Liga
-Personnel and kits:Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.-Managerial changes:-League table:-Positions by round:...
|First
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
| 3
| 7 || 4 || 2 || 1 || 9 || 3 || 14
| 4th round
2011–12 Taça de Portugal
The 2011–12 Taça de Portugal is the 72nd season of the Taça de Portugal. The winners will qualify for the group stage of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.- Primeira Liga :*Associação Académica de Coimbra – Organismo Autónomo de Futebol...
| 3rd round
| Europa League
2011–12 UEFA Europa League
The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania...
| Group stage
|
|}
- A. 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup winners.
- B. Braga started season in the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup and then qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup.
- C. Best league finish.
- D. First presence in the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. - E. Braga started season in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League and later joined UEFA Europa League after finishing 3rd in the group stage.
- F. Best EuropeanUEFAThe Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competition finish.
Last updated: 15 October 2011
Div. = Division; 1 = Portuguese League; 2DN = Second Division North; Pos. = Position; Pl = Match played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lost; GS = Goal Scored; GA = Goal Against; P = Points
Current squad
On loan
Domestic
- Portuguese League: Runner-up 2009–10
- Portuguese CupTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 1965–66; Runner-up 1976–77, 1981–82, 1997–98 - Portuguese Supercup: Runner-up 1982, 1998
- Second DivisionPortuguese Second DivisionThe Portuguese Second Division is a football league in Portugal, situated at the third level of the Portuguese football league system...
: 1946–47, 1963–64 - FPF CupTaça Federação Portuguesa de FutebolThe "FPF" Cup was a competition organized by the Portuguese Football Federation. It was only played in the 1976–77 season. There was an exclusive edition for each of the three top Portuguese divisions, resulting in three champions from different divisions.- Format :...
: 1976–77
International
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
: Round of 16 1997–98, 2006–07, 2008–09, - UEFA Europa League: Runner-up 2010–11
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 2008
Notable former players
| Roland Linz Roland Linz Roland Gunther Linz is an Austrian footballer who plays for FK Austria Wien as a striker.-Early career / Germany:Linz started in the youth teams of local club DSV Leoben... Stéphane Demol Stéphane Demol Stéphane Auguste Demol is a former Belgian footballer who played as a central defender. On November 24 he was fired as coach of PAS Giannina FC.-Club career:Born in Watermael-Boitsfort, Brussels, Demol joined local R.S.C... Artur Diego Costa Diego da Silva Costa Diego da Silva Costa is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in the Spanish first division, as a striker.-Football career:... Elpídio Silva Pena Kostadin Kostadinov Kostadin Kostadinov Kostadin Stefanov Kostadinov is a retired Bulgarian football player. Kostadinov was a forward.During his career, he played for Trakia Plovdiv in Bulgaria and made 350 appearances in the Bulgarian championship, scoring 106 goals. Kostadinov also played for Bulgaria national football team from... Pablo Contreras Pablo Contreras Pablo Andrés Contreras Fica is a Chilean footballer who plays for PAOK F.C. in Greece. Primarily a central defender, he can also operate as a right back.... Miklós Fehér Miklós Fehér Miklós "Miki" Fehér was a Hungarian footballer who played as a striker.On 25 January 2004, Fehér died of a cardiac arrest during a match between Vitória de Guimarães and his team Benfica in Guimarães, Portugal.... Chiquinho Conde Chiquinho Conde Francisco Queriol Conde Júnior, aka Chiquinho Conde , is a retired Mozambican footballer who played as a striker.... Alberto Rodríguez |
António Folha António Folha António José dos Santos Folha is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a winger.-Club career:... Eduardo Eduardo Eduardo is the Portuguese and Spanish form of the male given name Edward. It may refer to:In association football:* Eduardo da Silva, Brazilian-born Croatian football who currently plays for Shakhtar Donetsk.... Jaime Pacheco Jaime Pacheco Jaime Moreira Pacheco is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a central midfielder, and a current manager.During his career he played, among others, for F.C. Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal... João Vieira Pinto João Vieira Pinto João Manuel Vieira Pinto is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a forward.Blessed with formidable skills and scoring ability, he made his name mostly at a domestic level and as a key figure in the Portuguese national team's "Golden Generation", collecting 138 caps and scoring 35... Jordão Jordão (footballer born 1971) Adelino José Martins Batista , aka Jordão, is a retired Angolan-Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.-Football career:... José Nunes Nuno Frechaut Nuno Frechaut Nuno Miguel Frechaut Barreto , known as Frechaut , is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Associação Naval 1º de Maio... Ricardo Rocha Ricardo Rocha (Portuguese footballer) Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Portsmouth in the Football League Championship, as a defender.-Portugal:Rocha was born in Santo Tirso, Porto District... Sílvio Sílvio Manuel Pereira Sílvio Manuel Azevedo Ferreira Sá Pereira, simply Sílvio, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in Spain. A defender, he is equally at ease as a right or left back.-External links:****... Tiago Tiago Mendes Tiago Cardoso Mendes , simply Tiago, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.A versatile midfielder, adept as both a central or defensive unit and with good overall skills, he played professionally in four of Europe's major leagues: England, France, Italy and Spain.A... Luis Aguiar |
Notable former coaches
Manuel CajudaManuel Cajuda
Manuel Ventura Cajuda de Sousa is a Portuguese football manager, currently in charge of União de Leiria....
(1994–97), (1998–02) Jesualdo Ferreira
Jesualdo Ferreira
Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira is a Portuguese football manager who currently manages Greek club Panathinaikos.-Early career:In Ferreira's early career, he managed Rio Maior and Torreense...
(2003–06) Carlos Carvalhal (2006) Jorge Costa
Jorge Costa
Jorge Paulo Costa Almeida , known as Costa, is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager....
(2006–07, assistant), (2007) Jorge Jesus (2008–09) Domingos (2009–11) Leonardo Jardim
Leonardo Jardim
José Leonardo Nunes Alves Sousa Jardim is a Portuguese football manager, currently in charge of S.C. Braga.-Football career:...
(2011–)