On 19 January 1921 Braga was officially founded, the club of the historic city in northern Portugal. On 19 January 2027 the team turns 106 years old. This is a team that started in green, switched to red and ended up looking like Arsenal.

Students with green hearts

The team was founded by a group of Sporting CP supporters, mostly students. They had been playing at weekends at the Campo das Goladas since 1919. The first president was João Gomes.

From Sporting they took the name, Sporting Clube de Braga, and also their first shirt. It was split green and white, worn with black shorts.

From red to the Arsenal look

At some point Braga left green behind for red and white, but the sources disagree on why. English Wikipedia says the change happened in 1921 in honour of the Benfica supporters in the city. Portuguese Wikipedia, drawing on a 2021 book on the club's history, rejects that version.

The best-known story concerns the shirt with the white sleeves. In one version, Hungarian coach József Szabó came back from London in 1945 with full Arsenal kits. Others credit president José Antunes Guimarães, an Arsenal admirer with business ties in London.

The new shirt was worn from 1946-47, the season the team was first promoted to the top flight. Ever since, the club's fans have been called the Arsenalistas.

Our Lady on the crest

The crest is based on the city's coat of arms, which shows the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus. The blue background became red and white, and above sits a golden crown with towers. Many fans say Our Lady brings them luck.

A stadium carved into the rock

From 1950 to 2003 Braga played at the Estádio 1.º de Maio, originally called 28 de Maio. It got its present name after the 1974 revolution.

On 30 December 2003 the Estádio Municipal de Braga opened, built for Euro 2004. Architect Eduardo Souto de Moura designed it inside an old quarry on Monte Castro, which is why it is called the "Pedreira", the quarry. It holds 30,286 spectators.

It has stands only on the two long sides, linked by steel cables. Behind one goal rises the bare rock face.

Trophies and great European nights

In 1966 Braga lifted their first Taça de Portugal, beating Vitória de Setúbal 1-0 with a goal by Miguel Perrichon. The cups of 2016 and 2021 followed, along with three League Cups. In 2008 they won the Intertoto Cup.

In 2009-10 they finished second in the league, the best position in their history. The following season, in the Champions League, they beat Arsenal 2-0, the very team that had inspired their shirt.

In the 2011 Europa League, coached by Domingos Paciência, they knocked out Liverpool and Benfica, with a Custódio header in the semi-final. In the Dublin final on 18 May 2011 they lost 1-0 to Porto. Big names of the club's modern history include Brazilian captain Alan and Ricardo Horta.

Celebrate with us

From students in green to red shirts with white sleeves and a stadium in the rock, Braga have written a story of their own. Happy 106th birthday to the Arsenalistas!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: the Estádio Municipal de Braga (2021) – Joseolgon, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.