S.C. Braga facts for kids
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| Full name | Sporting Clube de Braga | |||
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| 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) |
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| Founded | 19 January 1921 | |||
| Ground | Estádio Municipal de Braga | |||
| Capacity | 30,286 | |||
| Owner | Qatar Sports Investments (29.6%) Sundown Investments Limited (17.04%) |
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| President | António Salvador | |||
| Manager | Carlos Vicens | |||
| League | Primeira Liga | |||
| 2024–25 | Primeira Liga, 4th of 18 | |||
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Sporting Clube de Braga, often called Braga, is a famous Portuguese sports club from the city of Braga. It's best known for its men's professional football team. This team plays in the Primeira Liga, which is the top football league in Portugal. Their home games are played at the Estádio Municipal de Braga.
The club was started on January 19, 1921. Braga's fans are called Braguistas. The team is also known as Os Arsenalistas (The Arsenalists). This nickname comes from their red and white shirts, which look a lot like the kits of 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, which is now used by their reserve team.
In the 2000s, Braga became one of Portugal's most successful clubs. They won the last UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2008. This made them the only Portuguese club to win that trophy. They also reached the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2011. At home, they have 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 played in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League for the first time. They got there by beating teams like Celtic and Sevilla. This happened after they finished second in the 2009–10 Primeira Liga season. That was their highest league finish ever. In recent years, Braga has become known for finding and training young football stars. They focus a lot on their youth system.
Braga has a big rivalry with a nearby club called Vitória de Guimarães. Their matches are known as the Minho derby.
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Club History
Records show that in 1919, before the club was officially formed, some Braga residents liked Sporting Clube de Portugal. They decided to use the name Sporting Clube de Braga. Their first uniforms were green and white, just like Sporting CP.
In 1921, a new idea came up to make everyone happy. The name Sporting Clube de Braga stayed. But the team's kit changed to red and white. This was to honor the connection some fans had to Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Benfica).
Until 1945, SC Braga's kit looked like Benfica's. It had a red shirt, white shorts, and white socks. After World War II, the club changed its colors. They adopted the red and white style of Arsenal. This change happened for their reserve team in the 1945–46 season. The first team followed in the 1946–47 season.
One story says the club president, José Antunes Guimarães, was an Arsenal fan. He had business in London and wanted the change. Another story says it was Braga's Hungarian coach, József Szabó, who asked for the new uniform. In 1947, Braga won the Second Division title in their new kit. This helped them reach the First Division for the first time. Braga even called their youth team Arsenal de Braga.
Braga's club emblem shows the city of Braga's shield. It features Mother Mary and baby Jesus. The blue 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 their home kit looks like Arsenal's. They are also known as Bracarenses. This name comes from the ancient city of Bracari, which is now Braga.
Braga's European Journey
Braga started playing in European competitions in the 1960s and 1970s. Their recent streak of playing in Europe began in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. They finished fifth in the league that season.
In the 2006–07 UEFA Cup, Braga reached the last 16 teams. They lost to Tottenham Hotspur in a high-scoring game. In 2008, Braga won the UEFA Intertoto Cup. They also reached the last 16 of the UEFA Cup again in the 2008–09 season. They lost by just one goal to Paris Saint-Germain.
Braga finished second in the league in the 2009–10 Primeira Liga season. This was their best league finish ever. It also meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. They beat strong teams like Sevilla to reach the group stage. In the group stage, they played against Arsenal. Braga then moved to the Europa League. They made it all the way to the final in Dublin in 2011. However, they lost to fellow Portuguese team FC Porto.
Braga won the Taça da Liga for the first time in 2013. They beat Porto in the final with a goal from Alan. In 2016, they won the Taça de Portugal by beating Porto in a penalty shootout. This was their first Portuguese Cup win in 50 years!
In the 2019–20 season, Braga won the League Cup again. They beat Porto in the final, with Ricardo Horta scoring the winning goal. In 2021, under coach Carlos Carvalhal, Braga won the 2021 Taça de Portugal Final against Benfica.
In October 2022, a company called Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought a large part of the club's shares. QSI also owns Paris Saint-Germain. The 2022–23 season was very successful for Braga. They finished third in the league and returned to the Champions League after 11 years. They also set new club records for points, wins, and goals scored.
Braga's success in the 21st century has been huge. They have played in the Champions League and won several cups. They also opened new, modern training facilities. Because of this, Braga is now seen as one of the top four football clubs in Portugal. They are often mentioned alongside the traditional "Big Three" clubs.
Club Finances
Sporting Clube de Braga – Futebol, SAD is a company that manages the football team. In 2023, the club made a profit of over 20 million euros.
The main owner of the football team's shares is Sporting Clube de Braga itself. Qatar Sports Investments owns about 29.6% of the shares. Another company, Sundown Investments Limited, owns about 17%. Other investors own the rest.
Club Rivalries
Minho Derby
The Minho derby is a big football rivalry. It's between Sporting Clube de Braga and Vitória Sport Clube. Both clubs are from the Minho region in northern Portugal. This derby is very intense and passionate. It's not just about football. It also shows a long-standing rivalry between the cities of Braga and Guimarães. This rivalry started even before Portugal became a kingdom. It has always been a competition in many parts of life, like sports, culture, and business. Football is just one way this rivalry plays out. Fans eagerly wait for this match. It's known as one of the most exciting games in Portuguese football.
Other Rivalries
Braga also has some rivalry with clubs like Boavista and Belenenses. This is because they have won a similar number of titles. These clubs are also among those with many fans in Portugal. People often argue about which club should be called the "4th big" club. However, the top three clubs in Portugal are still much bigger in terms of success.
Recent 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 |
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| 2023–24 | 4th | 34 | 21 | 5 | 8 | 71 | 50 | 68 | R5 | W | Champions League
Europa League |
GS
L32 |
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Club Trophies
Braga has won several important trophies:
National Titles
League
- Segunda Divisão (Second Division)
- Winners (2): 1946–47, 1963–64
Cup
- 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
International Titles
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners (1): 2008 (They were the overall winners)
Current Team Players
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Players on Loan
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Club Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Carlos Vicens |
| Assistant Managers | Mario Enguidanos Lander García Jordi Fernández |
| Analyst | Guillermo Alonso |
| Goalkeeper Coach |  Orlando Silva Eduardo Carvalho |
| Fitness Coach | Antonio Gómez |
| Chief Scout |  Paulo Meneses |
| Scout | Ernesto Peixoto |
| Youth Chief Scout | José Luís Antunes |
| Head of Medical | Vítor Moreira |
Club Managers Through the Years
József Szabó (1935–37), (1945), (1953–54)
Mário Imbelloni (1955–56)- Eduardo Viso (1955–56)
- József Szabó (1956–57), (1960–61)
- António Teixeira (1964–65)
- José Valle (1965–66)
- Rui Sim-Sim (1966)
- Manuel Palmeira (1966)
- Fernando Caiado (1966–67)
- José Valle (1967)
- José Maria Vieira (1967–68)
- Artur Quaresma (1968–69)
- Federico Passos (1969)
- Alberto Pereira (1969–70)
- Joaquim Coimbra (1970)
- José Carlos (1975–76)
- Mário Lino (1976–77)
- Hilário Conceição (1977)
- Mário Imbelloni (1977–78)
- Fernando Caiado (1978–79)
- Hilário Conceição (1979–80)
- Mário Lino (1980–81)
- Quinito (1981–82)
- Juca (1 July 1982 – 30 June 1983)
- Quinito (1983–85)
- Henrique Calisto (1985)
- Humberto Coelho (1 July 1985–87)
- Manuel José (1987–89)
- Raul Águas (1990)
- Carlos Garcia (1990–92)
- Vitor Manuel (1992)
- António Oliveira (1992–94)
- Neca (1994)
- Manuel Cajuda (1 July 1994 – 30 June 1997)
- Fernando Castro Santos (1997–98)
- Alberto Argibay Pazos (1998)
- Vítor Oliveira (1 July 1998–98)
- Carlos Manuel (1998)
- Manuel Cajuda (1 April 1999 – 30 June 2002)
- Fernando Castro Santos (2002–03)
- Jesualdo Ferreira (19 April 2003 – 8 May 2006)
- Carlos Carvalhal (10 May 2006 – 8 November 2006)
- Rogério Gonçalves (13 November 2006 – 19 February 2007)
- Jorge Costa (19 February 2007 – 30 October 2007)
- António Caldas (interim) (31 October 2007 – 11 November 2007)
- Manuel Machado (12 November 2007 – 21 April 2008)
- Jorge Jesus (20 May 2008 – 15 June 2009)
- Domingos (20 June 2009 – 30 June 2011)
- Leonardo Jardim (1 July 2011 – 30 June 2012)
- José Peseiro (1 July 2012 – 30 June 2013)
- Jesualdo Ferreira (1 July 2013 – 23 February 2014)
- Jorge Paixão (23 February 2014 – 23 May 2014)
- Sérgio Conceição (2014–15)
- Paulo Fonseca (2015–16)
- José Peseiro (1 July 2016 – 15 December 2016)
- Jorge Simão (17 December 2016 – 26 April 2017)
- Abel Ferreira (27 April 2017 – 30 June 2019)
- Ricardo Sá Pinto (3 July 2019 – 23 December 2019)
- Ruben Amorim (27 December 2019 – 3 March 2020)
- Custódio (3 March 2020 – 1 July 2020)
- Artur Jorge (1 July 2020 – 28 July 2020)
- Carlos Carvalhal (28 July 2020 – 15 May 2022)
- Artur Jorge (15 May 2022 – 3 April 2024)
- Rui Duarte (3 April 2024 – 18 May 2024)
- Daniel Sousa (24 May 2024 – 12 August 2024)
- Carlos Carvalhal (12 August 2024 – 28 May 2025)
- Carlos Vicens (28 May 2025 – present)
See also
In Spanish: Sporting Clube de Braga para niños
