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S.C. Braga facts for kids

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Braga
S.C. Braga logo.svg
Full name Sporting Clube de Braga
Nickname(s) Os Arcebispos (The Archbishops)
Os Arsenalistas (The Arsenalists)
Arsenal do Minho (Minho's Arsenal)
Minhotos (Those from Minho)
Os Guerreiros do Minho (The Minho Warriors)
Braguistas (supporters)
Founded 19 January 1921; 104 years ago (1921-01-19)
Ground Estádio Municipal de Braga
Ground Capacity 30,360
Owner Qatar Sports Investments (29.6%)
Sundown Investments Limited (17.04%)
President António Salvador
Manager Carlos Carvalhal
League Primeira Liga
2023–24 Primeira Liga, 4th of 18
Third colours

Sporting Clube de Braga, often called Braga, is a famous Portuguese sports club. It comes from the city of Braga. The club is best known for its men's professional football team. This team plays in the Primeira Liga, which is the top football league in Portugal. They play their home games at the Estádio Municipal de Braga.

Braga was started on January 19, 1921. Fans call them Braguistas or Os Arsenalistas. This nickname comes from their red and white shirts. These shirts look a lot like those worn by the English club Arsenal. Since 2003, Braga has played at the Estádio Municipal de Braga. Before that, they played at the Estádio 1º de Maio. That old stadium is now used by the club's reserve team.

In the 2000s, Braga became one of Portugal's top five clubs. They have had great success in European competitions. Braga won the last UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2008. They are the only Portuguese club to win this cup. In 2011, they reached the final of the UEFA Europa League. This made them known as the fourth strongest club in Portugal.

At home, Braga has won seven other trophies. They won the Taça de Portugal three times: in 1966, 2016, and 2021. They also won the Taça da Liga three times: in 2013, 2020, and 2024. Braga has a big rivalry with Vitória de Guimarães. Their matches are called the Derby do Minho.

In 2010, Braga played in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League for the first time. They got there by finishing second in the league in 2009–10. This was their best league finish ever. Braga is also known for finding and training young football players. They focus a lot on their youth system.

Club History and Beginnings

The idea for Sporting Clube de Braga started in 1919. This was two years before the club was officially formed. A group of people from Braga liked the Lisbon-based club Sporting CP. So, they decided to name their new club Sporting Clube de Braga.

Kit Colours and Nicknames

At first, Braga's team wore green and white shirts. These were just like Sporting CP's famous "Stromp kit". But in 1921, some fans also liked Benfica, another Lisbon club. To make everyone happy, they kept the name Sporting CP. But they changed their kit to red and white. This was to honour Benfica.

Until 1945, Braga's kit was a red shirt with white shorts and socks. After World War II, the club changed its kit again. They adopted the red and white style of the English club Arsenal. This change happened for their reserve team in 1945–46. The first team started using it in 1946–47.

One story says the club president, José Antunes Guimarães, loved Arsenal. He had business in London and wanted the team to look like Arsenal. Another story says their Hungarian coach, József Szabó, asked for the change. In 1947, Braga won the Second Division title in their new kit. This helped them reach the First Division for the first time. They even called their youth team Arsenal de Braga.

Club Emblem and Supporters

Braga's club emblem shows the city of Braga's shield. On it, you can see Mother Mary and baby Jesus. The blue colour from the city's shield was changed to red. At the top of the emblem is a golden crown. The name "Sporting Clube de Braga" is written on it. Many fans believe Mother Mary brings them good luck.

Fans of Braga are called Arsenalistas because of their team's home kit. It looks like the kit of the English club Arsenal. They are also known as Bracarenses. This name comes from the ancient city of Bracari, which is now Braga.

The Minho Derby Rivalry

The Minho derby is a very important match for Braga fans. It is played against their nearby rival, Vitória de Guimarães. This match is more than just football. It shows how people from these two northern cities see each other. It is one of Portugal's most intense games. Young children under 13 need an adult with them to enter.

This rivalry started a long time ago. Braga was the old capital of Gallaecia. It was also the largest Portuguese city when the Kingdom of Portugal was formed. At that time, Guimarães became the home of the King. But Braga stayed important for trade and religious power.

Braga's European Adventures

In the 1960s and 1970s, Braga started to play in European competitions. Their recent success in Europe began in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. They finished fifth in the league that season. In the 2006–07 UEFA Cup, they reached the last 16 teams. They lost to Tottenham Hotspur in a high-scoring game.

Braga won the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup. They reached the UEFA Cup last 16 again in the 2008–09 season. They lost by just one goal to Paris Saint-Germain.

In the 2009–10 season, Braga finished second in the league. This was their best league finish ever. It also meant they got to play in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. They beat strong teams like Celtic and Sevilla to reach the group stage. On September 15, 2010, Braga played Arsenal in their first Champions League group match. They lost 6–0.

Braga finished third in their Champions League group. This meant they moved into the UEFA Europa League. They made it all the way to the final in Dublin. But they lost to fellow Portuguese team FC Porto by one goal.

Trophy Wins and Recent Success

Braga won the Taça da Liga for the first time in 2013. They beat Porto with a goal from Alan. Two years later, they lost the Taça de Portugal final to Sporting CP. But in 2016, they won their first Taça de Portugal in 50 years. They beat Porto in a penalty shootout.

In the 2019–20 season, Braga had four different managers. One of them, Rúben Amorim, led them to win the league cup. They beat Porto again, with Ricardo Horta scoring the winning goal.

On July 28, 2020, Carlos Carvalhal became the new head coach. He had been away from the club for 14 years. He led the team to the league cup final again, but they lost. However, they won the 2021 Taça de Portugal Final 2–0 against Benfica. After the 2021–22 season, he left. Artur Jorge took over as coach.

On October 10, 2022, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought a large part of the club's shares. QSI is owned by the Emir of Qatar. This season ended with Braga finishing third in the league. They returned to the Champions League after 11 years. They also set new club records for points (78), wins (25), and goals (75).

Braga's success in the 2000s has been huge. They have played in the UEFA Champions League. They won the Taça de Portugal twice more, in 2016 and 2021. They also reached the UEFA Europa League final in 2011. The club has also built new, modern training facilities. All this has made Braga known as the fourth biggest football club in Portugal. They are now seen as a "big club" alongside the famous Big Three.

League and Cup History: Recent Seasons

Here's a look at Braga's performance in recent league and cup seasons:

Season League Cup League Cup Europe (UEFA) Notes
Div. Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Pts Result Result Competition Result
2019–20 1st 3rd 34 18 6 10 61 40 60 R5 W Europa League L32
2020–21 4th 34 19 7 8 53 33 64 W RU Europa League L32
2021–22 4th 34 19 8 7 52 31 65 R5 R3 Europa League QF
2022–23 3rd 34 25 3 6 75 30 78 RU QF Europa League
Europa Conference League
GS
L32
2023–24 4th 34 21 5 8 71 50 68 R5 W Champions League
Europa League
GS
L32

Club Trophies and Honours

Braga has won several important trophies in its history.

National Competitions

League Titles

  • Segunda Divisão (Second Division)
    • Winners (2): 1946–47, 1963–64

Cup Titles

  • Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup)
    • Winners (3): 1965–66, 2015–16, 2020–21
  • Taça da Liga (League Cup)
    • Winners (3): 2012–13, 2019–20, 2023–24
  • Taça Federação Portuguesa de Futebol
    • Winners (1): 1976–77 (First Division)

International Competitions

  • UEFA Intertoto Cup
    • Winners (1): 2008 (Outright Winners)

Players and Staff

Current Squad

Here are the players currently in Braga's main team:

No. Position Player
1 Brazil GK Matheus
2 Spain DF Víctor Gómez
3 Brazil DF Robson Bambu
4 Mali DF Sikou Niakaté
6 Brazil MF Vitor Carvalho
7 Portugal FW Bruma
8 Portugal MF João Moutinho
9 Morocco FW Amine El Ouazzani
10 Portugal MF André Horta
11 Portugal FW Roger Fernandes
12 Portugal GK Tiago Sá
13 Portugal DF João Ferreira (on loan from Watford)
15 Portugal DF Paulo Oliveira
No. Position Player
16 Uruguay MF Rodrigo Zalazar
19 Spain DF Adrián Marín
20 Spain MF Ismaël Gharbi
21 Portugal FW Ricardo Horta (captain)
22 Uruguay MF Thiago Helguera
25 Portugal DF Yuri Ribeiro
26 Germany DF Bright Arrey-Mbi
27 Algeria FW Rafik Guitane (on loan from Estoril)
29 France MF Jean-Baptiste Gorby
33 Portugal FW João Marques
77 Spain FW Gabri Martínez
90 Spain FW Roberto Fernández
91 Czech Republic GK Lukáš Horníček

Players on Loan

Some players from Braga are currently playing for other teams for a short time:

No. Position Player
17 Sweden DF Joe Mendes (at Basel until 30 June 2025)
23 Democratic Republic of the Congo FW Simon Banza (at Trabzonspor until 30 June 2025)
Poland DF Bartłomiej Wdowik (at Hannover 96 until 30 June 2025)

Club Staff Members

Here are some of the key people working for the club:

Position Staff
Manager Portugal Carlos Carvalhal
Assistant Managers Portugal André Cunha
First-Team Coach Portugal João Cardoso
First-Team Goalkeeper Coach Portugal Orlando Silva
Portugal Eduardo Carvalho
Fitness Coach Portugal Ernesto Peixoto
Chief Scout Angola Paulo Meneses
Scout Portugal Ernesto Peixoto
Youth Chief Scout Portugal José Luís Antunes
Head of Medical Portugal Vítor Moreira

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sporting Clube de Braga para niños

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