Abel Braga

Abel Carlos da Silva Braga is a Brazilian football coach and former player. He is the current technical director of Internacional.
Braga played as a central defender during a professional career that started with Fluminense in 1968. He earned one cap for Brazil, and was on the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad.
Since his retirement in 1985, Braga has managed a number of clubs in Brazil and Portugal, including three spells at Fluminense and eight spells at Internacional, with whom won the Copa Libertadores and FIFA Club World Cup in 2006. He has also managed French club Marseille, as well as Emirati club Al Jazira over two spells.

Club career

Known as Abel during his playing days, he started his career as a player in Fluminense in 1968, being a regular member of the youth sides. After becoming a part of the first team squad in 1971, he was loaned to Figueirense in 1973.
Back to Flu in 1974, Abel enjoyed a run as a first-choice, but lost his starting spot under head coaches Carlos Alberto Parreira and Paulo Emilio. Unhappy with his backup status, he saw moves to Flamengo and America-RJ being blocked by Fluminense president, but was sent to Vasco da Gama along with two teammates in early 1976.
Abel then established himself as a regular starter for Vasco, playing 90 matches in his first season. In 1979, he moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing for French club Paris Saint-Germain.
Back to Brazil in 1981, Abel returned to his home country to play for Cruzeiro, but a knee injury took him out for two months shortly after arriving, and he lost space after recovering. He then moved to Botafogo in 1982, where he also struggled with injuries, and later represented Goytacaz, retiring with the club at the end of the 1984 season, aged 32.

International career

Abel played for an under-23 side in the 1971 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, before playing two matches in the 1972 Summer Olympics. He made his full international debut for the Brazil national team on 19 April 1978, in a 1–1 draw against England at the Wembley Stadium.
Abel was also included in Cláudio Coutinho's squad for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, but did not make an appearance in the tournament.

Coaching career

Early career

In 1985, immediately after retiring, Braga began working as a head coach at his last club Goytacaz. He returned to Botafogo shortly after, coaching the club in the 1985 Campeonato Carioca, before moving to Portugal to take over Rio Ave in November 1985.
Back to Brazil after the end of the 1985–86 season, Braga was in charge of Vitória for the remainder of the year, and later led Galícia and Santa Cruz before being appointed head coach of Internacional in October 1988, replacing Chiquinho.
Braga led Inter to the finals of the 1988 Série A, losing to Bahia, and was knocked out in the semifinals of the 1989 Copa Libertadores to Olimpia on penalties. Sacked in June 1989, he returned to Portugal shortly after, taking over Famalicão.
In June 1991, after leading Famalicão to the Primeira Liga, Abel returned to Internacional in the place of Ênio Andrade, but only lasted three months in charge. In November 1993, after nearly two years at Belenenses, he returned to Famalicão.
Back to Rio Ave in August 1994, Braga was in charge of the side for six matches before being dismissed. He would also manage Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal before joining another club he represented as a player, Vasco da Gama, in April 1995.
Sacked in May 1995, Braga returned to Inter for a third spell in July, and remained in charge until the end of the campaign. On 25 March 1997, after more than a year without a club, he replaced Geninho as head coach of Guarani, but only lasted five matches before being sacked on 21 April.
On 28 June 1997, Braga agreed to become Atlético Paranaense's head coach, and led the club to the 1998 Campeonato Paranaense. Departing in August of that year, he spent a short period in charge of Bahia before returning to the state in April 1999, taking over Coritiba and also winning the year's state league over his former club Atlético.
Sacked from Coxa in September 1999, Braga took over Paraná in the following month, and was kept in charge despite suffering relegation. In March 2000, however, he left the club after receiving an offer to return to Vasco.

Marseille

In July 2000, Braga signed for Olympique de Marseille – rivals of his former team PSG – who had only just stayed in Ligue 1 on the last day of the previous season. He spent large amounts of money to buy compatriots Marcelinho Paraíba and Adriano Gabiru, and was dismissed in November with the team in the relegation zone having won five out of 16 games.

Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo

Back to his home country, Braga was appointed Atlético Mineiro head coach in January 2001, but was sacked on 19 April of that year. He returned to Botafogo in October, and despite resigning in March 2002, he returned to the club in August, but resigned again in September.

Atlético Paranaense and Ponte Preta

Back to Atlético Paranaense in October 2002, Braga was sacked in November, and took over Ponte Preta on 11 December. After avoiding relegation, he left the club on 17 December 2003,

Flamengo

Immediately after leaving Ponte, Braga took over Flamengo. He won the 2004 Taça Guanabara and the Campeonato Carioca with Fla, but lost the Copa do Brasil to underdogs Santo André, and resigned in July of that year after a loss to Juventude.

Fluminense

On 21 December 2004, Braga returned to Fluminense, now as head coach. He won the 2005 Campeonato Carioca, and again reached the final of the Copa do Brasil, again losing to another underdog, Paulista.
On 6 December 2005, after missing out on a Copa Libertadores spot, Braga left the club.

Fourth and fifth spells at Internacional

On 13 December 2005, Braga was announced as head coach of Internacional, replacing Muricy Ramalho. Despite losing the 2006 Campeonato Gaúcho to Grêmio, he won the Copa Libertadores, and ended the season as the sixth best club coach by the IFFHS.
Braga agreed to a new one-year contract on 12 December 2006, and led the club to the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup title – Inter's biggest-ever accolade – five days later. In April of the following year, however, he was sacked after being knocked out of the 2007 Copa Libertadores in the group stage.
On 10 August 2007, Braga returned to Internacional after the club had sacked Alexandre Gallo, his successor. He won the 2008 Campeonato Gaúcho, and departed the club in June of that year, after agreeing to a contract with Emirati side Al Jazira.

Fluminense return

On 8 June 2011, Braga was presented back at Fluminense in his home country; he had agreed to return to the club 87 prior to his presentation, and the club was coached by his assistant in the meantime. In the following season, he won both the 2012 Campeonato Carioca and the 2012 Série A, being awarded as the best coach of the league.
On 29 July 2013, after five consecutive loses in the 2013 Série A that kept the club in relegation zone, Braga was dismissed from Fluminense.

Sixth spell at Internacional

On 13 December, he returned to Inter for his sixth spell, and won the 2014 Campeonato Gaúcho. In December 2014, he left the club as his contract was due to expire.

Al Jazira return

Braga then returned to Al Jazira for a second spell on 16 June 2015, but parted company with the club in December after a string of poor results.

Third spell at Fluminense

On 1 December 2016, Fluminense announced Braga as their head coach for the ensuing season. On 16 June 2018, he resigned from the club, after having won just one trophy, the 2017 Taça Guanabara.

Flamengo return

On 2 January 2019, Braga returned to Flamengo as head coach. They confirmed their status as favourites by winning the 2019 Campeonato Carioca, but Braga still resigned on 29 May, after being contested by fans.

Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro announced Braga as head coach on 27 September 2019, but sacked him on 29 November after winning three games out of 14. He was announced as Vasco da Gama's head coach for the 2020 season on 16 December 2019, but resigned the following 16 March.

Seventh spell at Internacional

On 10 November 2020, Braga returned to Internacional for a seventh spell as head coach, replacing Eduardo Coudet. He left the following 26 February, after losing the 2020 Série A in the last round.

Lugano

In June 2021, Braga was hired by Swiss Super League club FC Lugano, but was sacked on 1 September after the team two wins and two defeats in the first 4 league matches of the 2021–22 season.

Fourth spell at Fluminense

On 15 December, Braga returned to Fluminense for a fourth spell as head coach, but resigned on 28 April 2022, despite winning the 2022 Campeonato Carioca.

Retirement

On 29 June 2022, Braga announced his retirement as a head coach, stating that he would not discard continue working with football but in another roles.

Eighth spell at Internacional

On 29 November 2025, Braga came out of retirement to become the head coach of Internacional for the remaining two matches of the season; it was his eighth spell at the club. He agreed to work with no wages in both of the matches, in an attempt to save the club from relegation, which he succeeded in doing, and later became a technical director at the club.

Personal life

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.