Abel Braga

Lore & Background

Braga played as a central defender, starting his professional career with Fluminense in 1968. He earned one cap for Brazil and was part of the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad. After retiring in 1985, he managed numerous clubs in Brazil and Portugal, including three spells at Fluminense and eight spells at Internacional, with whom he won the Copa Libertadores and FIFA Club World Cup in 2006. He also managed French club Marseille and Emirati club Al Jazira over two spells.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed over the green grass as Braga paced the sideline, hands on hips. The final minutes of the Paulista decisive match were ticking away, and tension hung heavy in the humid air. He shouted instructions to the backline, voice cracking with urgency, before turning to look at the scoreboard. When the whistle finally blew confirming victory, he collapsed onto the touchline turf, overwhelmed by the roar of the Verdão faithful.

Reader's Guide

Braga's coaching career began in 1985 at Goytacaz. He has managed clubs such as Botafogo, Rio Ave, Vitória, Santa Cruz, Internacional (multiple spells), Famalicão, Belenenses, Vasco da Gama, Guarani, Atlético Paranaense, Bahia, Coritiba, Paraná, Marseille, Atlético Mineiro, Ponte Preta, Flamengo, Fluminense (multiple spells), Al Jazira, Cruzeiro, Lugano, and others. His notable achievements include winning the 1987 Campeonato Pernambucano with Santa Cruz, the 1998 Campeonato Paranaense with Atlético Paranaense, the 1999 Campeonato Paranaense with Coritiba, the 2004 Taça Guanabara and Campeonato Carioca with Flamengo, the 2005 Campeonato Carioca with Fluminense, the 2006 Copa Libertadores and 2006 FIFA Club World Cup with Internacional, the 2008 Campeonato Gaúcho with Internacional, the 2012 Campeonato Carioca and 2012 Série A with Fluminense, the 2014 Campeonato Gaúcho with Internacional, and the 2017 Taça Guanabara with Fluminense. He has no connection to Palmeiras or the Campeonato Paulista.

Did You Know?

• Braga was on the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad but did not play.
• He won the FIFA Club World Cup with Internacional in 2006.
• He has managed Internacional eight times in his career.
• Braga played for Paris Saint-Germain in 1979.