Abel Braga

Abel Braga

Abel Braga with President of Brazil Lula
Personal information
Full name	Abel Carlos da Silva Braga
Date of birth	(1952-09-01) 1 September 1952
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Team information
Current team	Fluminense (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1968–1976	Fluminense	42	(1)
1976–1979	Vasco da Gama	37	(0)
1977	→ Las Vegas Quicksilvers (loan)	11	(2)
1979–1981	Paris Saint-Germain	45	(9)
1981–1982	Cruzeiro	12	(1)
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	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
2017–	Fluminense
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Abel Carlos da Silva Braga (born 1 September 1952), known as Abel Braga, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a central defender, and the current manager of Fluminense.

Career

Known as Abel during his playing days, 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).

On July 29, 2013, after five consecutive loses in 2013 Brazilian League, that keep the club in relegation zone, Braga was dismissed from Fluminense.

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.

On 29 July 2017, Braga's 18-year-old son, João Pedro, died after falling from the balcony of the family's apartment in the Leblon region of Rio de Janeiro. Braga was informed of his son's death whilst undergoing the final preparations for Fluminense's fixture against Ponte Preta the following day. Ponte Preta agreed to Fluminense's request to postpone the match, which was rescheduled by the CBF.

Honours

Player

Fluminense

• Campeonato Carioca: 1971, 1973 and 1975

Vasco

• Campeonato Carioca: 1977

Manager

Atlético Paranaense

• Campeonato Paranaense: 1998

Coritiba

• Campeonato Paranaense: 1999

Vasco

• Taça Guanabara: 2000

Flamengo

• Campeonato Carioca: 2004
• Taça Guanabara: 2004

Fluminense

• Campeonato Carioca: 2005, 2012
• Taça Rio: 2005
• Taça Guanabara: 2012
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2012

Internacional

• Copa Libertadores: 2006
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2006

Al Jazira

• UAE League Cup: 2010
• UAE Arabian Gulf League: 2010–11
• UAE President's Cup: 2010–11

External links

• Abel Braga at National-Football-Teams.com
• Abel Braga at Sambafoot (archived)
• Manager career at Sambafoot

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