Abel Braga
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Abel Carlos da Silva Braga | ||
Date of birth | 1 September 1952 | ||
Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Centre back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1968–1976 | Fluminense | 42 | (1) |
1976–1979 | Vasco da Gama | 37 | (0) |
1977 | → Las Vegas Quicksilvers (loan)[1] | 11 | (2) |
1979–1981 | Paris Saint-Germain | 45 | (9) |
1981–1982 | Cruzeiro | ||
1982–1984 | Botafogo | 21 | (4) |
1984–1985 | Goytacaz | ||
International career | |||
1978 | Brazil | 1 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1985 | Goytacaz | ||
1986 | Rio Ave | ||
1987 | Botafogo | ||
1987–1988 | Santa Cruz | ||
1988–1989 | Internacional | ||
1989–1991 | Famalicão | ||
1991 | Internacional | ||
1992–1993 | Belenenses | ||
1994 | Vitória de Setúbal | ||
1995 | Vasco da Gama | ||
1995 | Internacional | ||
1997 | Guarani | ||
1997–1998 | Atlético Paranaense | ||
1998 | Bahia | ||
1999 | Coritiba | ||
1999–2000 | Paraná | ||
2000 | Vasco da Gama | ||
2000 | Olympique de Marseille | ||
2001 | Atlético Mineiro | ||
2001–2002 | Botafogo | ||
2002 | Atlético Paranaense | ||
2003 | Ponte Preta | ||
2004 | Flamengo | ||
2005 | Fluminense | ||
2006–2008 | Internacional | ||
2008–2011 | Al Jazira | ||
2011–2013 | Fluminense | ||
2014 | Internacional | ||
2015–2016 | Al Jazira | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Abel Carlos da Silva Braga, also known as Abel Braga or just Abel during his playing days (born 1 September 1952), is a football manager and a former football player.
Biography
He started his career as a player in Fluminense 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 head coach, 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 head coach, 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 head coach, 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 circumstances 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 Série A 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.
After a spell managing Al Jazira, where he won the league during his last year, he came back to Fluminense. The club was struggling after Muricy Ramalho was fired. Despite having little time to fix the team, which was in the lower positions of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A when he took over, he managed to finish the year in third place and qualify for the Copa Libertadores. In 2012 he led Fluminense to win the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and was awarded as the best coach of the league.
On May 30, 2013 after the elimination of Fluminense against Paraguayan Club Olimpia from 2013 Copa Libertadores, competition that Flu were one of favorites, Braga was humiliated by rival fans in the arrival of club. At same time, fans of the Tricolor wrote on the walls of Laranjeiras, headquarters of club, "Fora Abel" (Come out from club, Abel) and "Time Sem Vergonha" (Shameless players).[2]
On July 29, 2013, after five consecutive loses in 2013 Brazilian League, that keep the club in relegation zone, Braga was dismissed from Fluminense.[3]
In January 2014, Abel Braga returned to Internacional as manager, seven years after winning the Copa Libertadores and the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.
On 15 December 2014, Abel Braga announced that he will not continue as manager of Internacional. [4]
Honors
Playing honors
- Campeonato Carioca champion in 1973 and 1975 with Fluminense, and in 1977 with Vasco.
Head coaching honors
- Campeonato Paranaense champion in 1998 with Atlético Paranaense.
- Campeonato Paranaense champion in 1999 with Coritiba.
- Campeonato Carioca champion in 2000 with Vasco.
- Campeonato Carioca champion and Taça Guanabara champion in 2004 with Flamengo.
- Campeonato Carioca champion and Taça Rio in 2005 with Fluminense.
- Copa Libertadores de América and FIFA Club World Cup in 2006 with Internacional.
- Campeonato Carioca champion and Taça Guanabara champion in 2012 with Fluminense.
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A champion in 2012 with Fluminense.
- The UAE Etisalat Emirates Cup in 2010 with Al Jazira.
- UAE Arabian Gulf League in 2010–11: Al Jazira.
- UAE President's Cup in 2010-11 with Al Jazira Club.
References
External links
Template:Sport Club Internacional squad 2006 FIFA Club World Cup
- 1952 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Rio de Janeiro (city)
- Brazilian footballers
- Footballers at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers of Brazil
- 1978 FIFA World Cup players
- Brazil international footballers
- Brazilian expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in France
- Ligue 1 players
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players
- Brazilian football managers
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A managers
- Ligue 1 managers
- Fluminense Football Club players
- Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama players
- Paris Saint-Germain F.C. players
- Cruzeiro Esporte Clube players
- Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas players
- Goytacaz Futebol Clube players
- Goytacaz Futebol Clube managers
- Rio Ave F.C. managers
- Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas managers
- Santa Cruz Futebol Clube managers
- Sport Club Internacional managers
- C.F. Os Belenenses managers
- Vitória F.C. managers
- Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama managers
- Guarani Futebol Clube managers
- Clube Atlético Paranaense managers
- Coritiba Foot Ball Club managers
- Olympique de Marseille managers
- Clube Atlético Mineiro managers
- Esporte Clube Bahia managers
- Associação Atlética Ponte Preta managers
- Clube de Regatas do Flamengo managers
- Fluminense Football Club managers
- Al Jazira Club managers
- Las Vegas Quicksilver players
- North American Soccer League (1968–84) players
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- Brazilian expatriates in the United States
- Brazilian expatriates in France