Abel Braga
Encyclopedia
Abel Carlos da Silva Braga, also known as Abel Braga or just Abel during his playing days (born September 1, 1952), is a football (soccer) manager and a former football player. He now trains the Fluminense Football Club
.
in 1968, staying at the club until 1976, when he moved to Vasco da Gama
.
He also played for Paris Saint-Germain, of France
, from 1979 to 1981, for Botafogo
, from 1982 to 1984, and Goytacaz
, in 1984 and 1985, where ended his career.
He earned just one cap for the Brazilian national football team
, on April 19, 1978 versus England
, but he took part in the team that represented Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 1978 in Argentina
.
After his retirement as a player, he became a manager, and worked at clubs such as Vasco da Gama, Internacional
, Olympique de Marseille
, Atlético Paranaense
, Coritiba
, Atlético Mineiro
and Ponte Preta
.
In 1988, at Internacional, he was runner-up of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
after losing to Esporte Clube Bahia
in the final match. In 1989, he came close to winning the Copa Libertadores, but the club ended up losing to Paraguay's Olimpia
on penalties after conceding three goals in the return match at home. The two defeats left a stain on his career and would haunt him for many years to come.
In 2004, Abel Braga became Flamengo
manager, winning Taça Guanabara
and Campeonato Carioca
. He became most remembered, however, because Flamengo lost the Copa do Brasil
to underdogs Esporte Clube Santo André
, even though the final match was held in Rio de Janeiro, home of Flamengo.
In 2005, as Fluminense
manager, he won the Campeonato Carioca of that year.
Abel finished the year, however, carrying the burden of two successive last-minute failures. Against all odds, Fluminense lost to underdogs Paulista
of Jundiaí
in the Copa do Brasil
final match, under circunstances similar to the ones he faced the year before with Flamengo. Paulista, currently in the second division of the Campeonato Brasileiro
, eventually qualified for the Copa Libertadores
. Fluminense had another chance to qualify for the Libertadores, the most prestigious club football tournament in South America
, by finishing the Campeonato Brasileiro
among the top four. Even though Fluminense managed to lead the table for a few rounds, it failed again in the last match. A draw against Palmeiras
would have been enough for the team to finish fourth, but they lost.
In the beginning of 2006, Abel transferred to Internacional
of Porto Alegre
to lead the team in the football tournament of Rio Grande do Sul
. Grêmio emerged champions and Abel was criticized as an eternal runner-up. However, he may claim to have changed that image by winning the Copa Libertadores, the greatest achievements in the history of Internacional. The IFFHS ranked him as the sixth best club coach in 2006. He also led Internacional to win the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
.
Biography
He started his career as a player in FluminenseFluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
in 1968, staying at the club until 1976, when he moved to Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
.
He also played for Paris Saint-Germain, of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, from 1979 to 1981, for Botafogo
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato...
, from 1982 to 1984, and Goytacaz
Goytacaz Futebol Clube
Goytacaz Futebol Clube, or Goytacaz as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Campos dos Goytacazes in Rio de Janeiro, founded on August 20, 1912.Home stadium is the Ary de Oliveira e Souza stadium, capacity 15,000...
, in 1984 and 1985, where ended his career.
He earned just one cap for the Brazilian national football team
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, on April 19, 1978 versus England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, but he took part in the team that represented Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 1978 in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
After his retirement as a player, he became a manager, and worked at clubs such as Vasco da Gama, Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
, Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, Atlético Paranaense
Clube Atlético Paranaense
Clube Atlético Paranaense is a Brazilian football team from Curitiba in Paraná, founded on March 26, 1924. The club won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2001.-History:...
, Coritiba
Coritiba Foot Ball Club
Coritiba Foot Ball Club, commonly known as Coritiba, is a Brazilian football team from Curitiba, Paraná. It's the state's oldest football team and the best classified in the CBF and FIFA classifications. Coritiba has been champion in Paraná State for 35 times, more times than the sum of all the...
, Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro , are a Brazilian football club based in Belo Horizonte, the oldest in the city. Founded in 1908, they play in the Campeonato Mineiro and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. Atlético Mineiro have been Brazilian champions once, state winners a record 40 times and...
and Ponte Preta
Associação Atlética Ponte Preta
Ponte Preta is a Brazilian football club located in Campinas, São Paulo. Ponte Preta is also known as Macaca. Ponte Preta's biggest rival is from the same city: Guarani. The games between Ponte Preta and Guarani are known as derby . They are known as "pontepretanos"...
.
In 1988, at Internacional, he was runner-up of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
after losing to Esporte Clube Bahia
Esporte Clube Bahia
Esporte Clube Bahia , known familiarly as Bahiaço, is a Brazilian professional football club, based in Salvador, Bahia. They play in the Campeonato Baiano, Bahia's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brazil's national league. Bahia was a founding member of the Clube dos 13 group...
in the final match. In 1989, he came close to winning the Copa Libertadores, but the club ended up losing to Paraguay's Olimpia
Olimpia
- Sports teams :*Club Deportivo Olimpia, a football team from Honduras*Club Olimpia, a football team from Asunción, Paraguay*Olímpia Futebol Clube, a football team from Brazil*Olimpia Elbląg, a football team from Elbląg, Poland...
on penalties after conceding three goals in the return match at home. The two defeats left a stain on his career and would haunt him for many years to come.
In 2004, Abel Braga became Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...
manager, winning Taça Guanabara
Taça Guanabara
Taça Guanabara, or Guanabara Trophy, is a football tournament organized yearly since 1965 by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation. In its first four editions , Taça Guanabara was a tournament of its own right, completely unrelated to the Rio de Janeiro league, and the winners would be...
and Campeonato Carioca
Campeonato Carioca
The Campeonato Carioca, also known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, is the football league of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is one of the most prestigious national football tournaments...
. He became most remembered, however, because Flamengo lost the Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
to underdogs Esporte Clube Santo André
Esporte Clube Santo André
Esporte Clube Santo André, also known as Santo André, is a Brazilian football team from Santo André, São Paulo state.Santo André greatest rival is São Caetano, the other team in ABC region. The club's mascot name is Ramalhão after the bandeirante João Ramalho...
, even though the final match was held in Rio de Janeiro, home of Flamengo.
In 2005, as Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
manager, he won the Campeonato Carioca of that year.
Abel finished the year, however, carrying the burden of two successive last-minute failures. Against all odds, Fluminense lost to underdogs Paulista
Paulista Futebol Clube
Paulista Futebol Clube, or Paulista as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Jundiaí, in São Paulo, founded on May 17, 1909.Home stadium is the Jayme Cintra stadium, capacity 15,000...
of Jundiaí
Jundiaí
Jundiaí is a city and municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The population in 2009 was 349,929, and the area is 433.958 km². The elevation is 761 m. Distance is 60 km north of the city of São Paulo.- History and Geography :...
in the Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
final match, under circunstances similar to the ones he faced the year before with Flamengo. Paulista, currently in the second division of the Campeonato Brasileiro
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...
, eventually qualified for the Copa Libertadores
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
. Fluminense had another chance to qualify for the Libertadores, the most prestigious club football tournament in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, by finishing the Campeonato Brasileiro
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
among the top four. Even though Fluminense managed to lead the table for a few rounds, it failed again in the last match. A draw against Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
would have been enough for the team to finish fourth, but they lost.
In the beginning of 2006, Abel transferred to Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
of Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
to lead the team in the football tournament of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
. Grêmio emerged champions and Abel was criticized as an eternal runner-up. However, he may claim to have changed that image by winning the Copa Libertadores, the greatest achievements in the history of Internacional. The IFFHS ranked him as the sixth best club coach in 2006. He also led Internacional to win the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.
Playing honors
- Campeonato CariocaCampeonato CariocaThe Campeonato Carioca, also known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, is the football league of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is one of the most prestigious national football tournaments...
champion in 1973 and 1975 with Fluminense, and in 1977 with Vasco.
Head coaching honors
- Campeonato ParanaenseCampeonato ParanaenseCampeonato Paranaense, which has been contested since 1915, is the football league of the state of Paraná, Brazil. The "Série Ouro", literally the Golden Series, are the highest division of the league.-Format:...
champion in 1998 with Atlético Paranaense. - Campeonato Paranaense champion in 1999 with Coritiba.
- Campeonato CariocaCampeonato CariocaThe Campeonato Carioca, also known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, is the football league of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is one of the most prestigious national football tournaments...
champion in 2000 with Vasco. - Campeonato Carioca champion and Taça GuanabaraTaça GuanabaraTaça Guanabara, or Guanabara Trophy, is a football tournament organized yearly since 1965 by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation. In its first four editions , Taça Guanabara was a tournament of its own right, completely unrelated to the Rio de Janeiro league, and the winners would be...
champion in 2004 with Flamengo. - Campeonato Carioca champion and Taça RioTaça RioTaça Rio, or Rio Trophy, is an annual Rio de Janeiro football tournament. It is the second stage competition of the Campeonato Carioca, the state football championship in Rio de Janeiro...
in 2005 with Fluminense. - Copa Libertadores de AméricaCopa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
and FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
in 2006 with Internacional.