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Sporting Clube de Braga is a Portuguese sports
club, from the city of Braga, that was founded in 1921. They
have been known as Arsenal do Minho - 'Minho's Arsenal' - ever
since former coach Josef Szabo returned from a match at Highbury
in the 1930s and convinced his old team to ditch green in favour
of red and white sleeves (Braga even renamed their youth team
Arsenal do Braga).
Its
football team plays at the Braga Municipal Stadium, which was
built for Euro 2004. The current manager of Braga is Jorge Costa.
The club is now becoming one of Portugal's most successful clubs
afer the Big Three and they have been known to eliminate many
clubs in major competitions.
History
Braga celebrate the cup
In 1966 the citizens of Braga were at an all time high as Braga
won the Portuguese Cup. This came as a surprise, as not even
the people of Braga expected their club to win. This was the
first time Braga had won an honour.
The Ferreira years
Jesualdo Ferreira is an icon at Braga as he led the club to
glory as they reached 4th in the Portuguese Superliga. Many
fans were hurt when Ferreira left, many fans even went as far
as to call him a traitor, but nonetheless Ferreira led the club
to a high finish in the league, which led Braga to enter European
competitions.
Ferreira
left for Boavista FC, the club that many Braga fans consider
arch-rivals for the UEFA slot in the competition. At Braga,
Ferreira was known as "The Professor" for his tactical
decisions when deciding the starting line-up that led Braga
to 4th place.
Miklos
Feher was a key part while at Braga. He managed an impressive
record of 26 matches and 14 goals in the 2000/2001 season for
Sporting Braga. He then pursued his dreams when he arrived in
Lisbon to play for Benfica, although Miklos' dream would be
short as he died from a heart-attack on the field.
The
new stadium
Braga currently plays at the Estádio AXA stadium. Many
fans were hoping it would bring the team good luck and that
it did, as Braga has been finishing in the top-half of the table
in recent years.
It
has one of the most spectacular settings of any stadium in the
world, as it is carved out of the Monte Castro hillside overlooking
the city of Braga. The enormous earthmoving process contributed
heavily to its €83.1 million cost, more than any other
EURO 2004 venue except for the new Estádio da Luz in
Lisbon, which has more than twice the capacity of the new Braga
stadium. The architect for the project was Eduardo Souto de
Moura.
Unlike
most major stadiums, AXA has stands only on the two sides of
the field; the two end zones are backed with rock walls left
behind from the construction process. The two stands are covered
with a canopy-style roof which are connected by multiple steel
strings over the pitch, inspired by ancient South American Inca
bridges.
The
stadium was inaugurated on 30 December 2003 with Braga beating
Celta de Vigo 1-0.
Fans of Braga
The fans of SC Braga are known as Arsenalistas due to their
never-say-die attitude. Many of Braga fans are known for their
crazy antics such as throwing flares in the field to get their
players pumped up. The club's attendance record was broken in
May 2007 against Belenenses, the game that gave Braga 4th place
in the league.
Symbols and Europe
The emblem of Sporting Braga is the city of Braga's shield with
Mother Mary and baby Jesus. On the top of the emblem is the
Royal Crown of Braga, with the name Sporting Clube de Braga
on it. Many fans of SC Braga have said that Mother Mary gives
them luck.
Back
in the 60's and 70's Braga began to climb up the league ladder
and eventually participated in the UEFA Competitions. The club
is also participating in the 2007/2008 UEFA Cup. The team is
also expecting a top three finish in the 2007/2008 season. Braga
finished fifth in Jesualdo Ferreira's first full season and
brought UEFA Cup football to the Municipal stadium. Then in
the 2005/06 they challenged for the championship until the penultimate
round, ending fourth.
Braga's
success was thanks to Jesualdo's astute management of his human
resources. His pragmatic tactics also paid dividends, skills
acquired in a varied career taking in spells with Estrela da
Amadora and the Moroccan Army team FAR Rabat, plus four years
with the Portugal Under-21 side.
He
is a level-headed character. Musing on the end of Braga's extraordinary
run of clean sheets, Jesualdo said: "It was a pity the
first goal we conceded this season came from an own goal, as
I would have preferred a great goal. But I always also said
that, on the day it happened, the priority would be to win the
match. It was a record that did not matter much. It was earned
by a team which did not concede goals, but without meaning we
have a defensive philosophy."
Braga,
who owe their Sporting Club tag to the better known Sporting
Clube de Portugal, after whom they were named, changed their
kits from green-and-white hoops to their Arsenal-style red in
1920 when their then coach Jozef Szabo,following a trip to England,
ordered the club to adopt new colours to establish their own
identity.
Minho rivalry
Aside from the loyalty of the supporters, which earned the Arsenalistas
a big part of Portuguese Football culture, the Minho derby against
Vitória de Guimarães is a match that both sets
or fans are always waiting for. This match is more than football,
it is a way people from the north view other cities.
The
derby goes back before Football when the City of Braga was the
ancient capital of Galicia, and Guimarães who was led
by the first Portuguese King named Afonso I of Portugal was
one of Portugal's biggest cities. It was said that Galicia soldiers
from Braga who were not yet part of the Kingdom of Portugal
invaded Guimarães killing and slaughtering the entire
city.
The
derby is one of Portugal's most intense derbies, and children
under 13 are restricted from entering unless an adult is with
them.
Over
the past years Braga has been the better side but no matter
their league postions, or what league they play in, this derby
is one of Portugal's most watched and one of the most underrated.
The derby can not be simplified but in a sense intensived when
adding all the aspects of football mixed with culture this derby
is simply a way of life to the fans.
Official Song
Oiça o Hino do Sporting de Braga e conheça a letra.
Foi
no ano 21 que o meu Braga nasceu
Mas a força bracarense
Estudou e ele cresceu
Desde
toda a sua história
Já tem grandes tradições
No ano 66 na Taça de Portugal
Arrumou os tubarões
Braga,
Braga, Braga, vamos para a frente
Braga, Braga, Braga, olha a tua gente
Braga, Braga, Braga, és a nossa glória
Braga, Braga, Braga, vamos para a vitória
Braga,
Braga, Braga, vamos para a frente
Braga, Braga, Braga, olha a tua gente
Braga, Braga, Braga, és a nossa glória
Braga, Braga, Braga, vamos para a vitória
Todos
querem derrubar-te
Mas a tua gente não quer
Vamos para o campo lutar
Venham eles quem vier
Ó meu Braga, ó meu Braga
Dá um gosto à tua gente
Quando o tema é vencer
E com a força do querer
Tu és um polivalente
Braga,
Braga, Braga, vamos para a frente
Braga, Braga, Braga, olha a tua gente
Braga, Braga, Braga, és a nossa glória
Braga, Braga, Braga, vamos para a vitória
Braga,
Braga, Braga, vamos para a frente
Braga, Braga, Braga, olha a tua gente
Braga, Braga, Braga, és a nossa glória
Braga, Braga, Braga, vamos para a vitória
Musica
...
Braga,
Braga, Braga, vamos para a frente
Braga, Braga, Braga, olha a tua gente
Braga, Braga, Braga, és a nossa glória
Braga, Braga, Braga, vamos para a vitória
Braga,
Braga, Braga, vamos para a frente
Braga, Braga, Braga, olha a tua gente
Braga, Braga, Braga, és a nossa glória
Braga, Braga, Braga, vamos para a vitória
»
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