The Sporting Clube de Braga is in Portugal in the shadow of the competition from Lisbon and Porto. Nevertheless, the northern Portuguese are permanent guests in the Europa League – and play in one of the most beautiful stadiums in Europe.
The stadium
Before their first trip to Europe this season, the ultras of 1. FC Union allowed themselves a bit of fun. Her motto for the trip to Braga is: “Unthinkable then, true today: Union plays internationally – Reisekader 1. FC Union Berlin ev”.
The Irons, who now declare themselves a traveling squad, can look forward to one of the most beautiful football stadiums in Europe. The Estádio Municipal de Braga has only two grandstands, but still holds a little over 30,000 spectators. Behind the gates there is a wide view of the northern Portuguese landscape on one side, and on the other side the field is bordered by a granite rock. 80 steel cables span the field and carry the projecting roofs. Architect Eduardo Souto de Moura received the renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize for the construction.
The rocky side of Braga Stadium
The Derbi do Minho
It experiences its hottest evenings at the Dérbi do Minho between SC Braga and Vitoria SC from Guimarães. When the two teams battle for sporting supremacy in northern Portugal, children under the age of 13 are not allowed in the stadium. The duel between the two traditional clubs, which are fighting for fourth place in Portuguese football behind the big three SL Benfica, Sporting CP and FC Porto, is too heated. However, the game is about much more than just football. The rivalry between the cities of Braga and Guimarães goes back centuries.
Although Guimarães was the official residence of the first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, Braga has always been the archbishop’s seat and the economic center of the region. Because the proud clerics from Guimarães never really recognized the authority of the Archbishop of Braga as secular ruler over his lands around the city, a power struggle ensued that has shaped relations ever since and led, for example, to a conflict between the two cities, which are about 20 kilometers away there is no train connection. They can only be reached by train by going through the city of Porto. One of the nicknames of SC Braga supporters to this day is “os Arcebiscos” – “the Archbishops”.
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Portuguese Arsenal FC
Another nickname given to fans because of the club’s jerseys is “Arsenalistas”. When SC Braga was founded in 1921, the team played in green and white. Since 1947, players have worn red and white jerseys modeled after those of Arsenal FC.
There are two theories as to the reason for the color change. The first is that then-club president José Antunes Guimarães – the surname is not a reference – saw the English club win on a business trip to London and therefore wanted to see his team in red shirts as well. The other theory blames Hungarian coach József Szabó. As a big fan of the powerful Arsenal team of the 1940s, he is said to have brought the tactics of the Londoners to Braga. So that his team could better understand the new game, Szabó asked the president to introduce the red and white jerseys.
Either way, in the first season in the new colours, Braga became second division champions and made it into the Primeira Liga.
Permanent guest in Europe
Nationally, Braga is overshadowed by the overwhelming competition from Lisbon and Porto. But having finished at least fourth in the league 12 times in the last 15 years has made the ‘Braguista’ a regular in Europe. Sporting Braga is particularly familiar with the Europa League. The first participation in the knockout round of the competition established in 2009 led Braga to the 2011 final.
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Last season, Braga advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to eventual finalists Glasgow Rangers. With 72 appearances, SC Braga has now played the fifth most games of all participants in this competition. Because the club’s success only stabilized in this millennium, that’s enough in the all-time table of the Europa League and the predecessor Uefa Cup for 35th place.
Ex-club of Union newcomer Diogo Leite
Also present for Braga in Europe was current Union centre-back Diogo Leite, who spent last season there on loan. However, Leite watched his team’s exit against Glasgow from the bench. The central defender was only used in the six group games, where at least over the full distance. His parent club FC Porto loaned him out to 1. FC Union in the summer, which has a purchase option for 7.5 million euros.
Leite’s sporting path is not uncommon in Portugal. The big three often loan out their players in their own league. The better of them often find their way to Braga because they are guaranteed to gain important experience at European level there. The current squad also includes five players who have a past at Sporting, Benfica or Porto.
