Abel Braga

Abel Braga

Abel Braga with President of Brazil Lula
Personal information
Full nameAbel Carlos da Silva Braga
Date of birth1 September 1952
Place of birthRio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionCentre back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1968–1976Fluminense42(1)
1976–1979Vasco da Gama37(0)
1977→ Las Vegas Quicksilvers (loan)[1]11(2)
1979–1981Paris Saint-Germain45(9)
1981–1982Cruzeiro
1982–1984Botafogo21(4)
1984–1985Goytacaz
National team
1978Brazil1(0)
Teams managed
1985Goytacaz
1986Rio Ave
1987Botafogo
1987–1988Santa Cruz
1988–1989Internacional
1989–1991Famalicão
1991Internacional
1992–1993Belenenses
1994Vitória de Setúbal
1995Vasco da Gama
1995Internacional
1997Guarani
1997–1998Atlético Paranaense
1998Bahia
1999Coritiba
1999–2000Paraná
2000Vasco da Gama
2000Olympique de Marseille
2001Atlético Mineiro
2001–2002Botafogo
2002Atlético Paranaense
2003Ponte Preta
2004Flamengo
2005Fluminense
2006–2008Internacional
2008–2011Al Jazira
2011–2013Fluminense
2014Internacional
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (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]

On January, 2014, Abel Braga was confirmed as the new manager of Internacional, returning to the club 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

Head coaching honors

References

  1. ↑ NASL profile
  2. ↑ globoesporte.globo.com
  3. ↑ Flu demite Abel mesmo sem opção de consenso para assumir o time
  4. ↑ "Abel Braga perde a paciência e descarta permanência no Internacional em 2015". iG. iG.

External links