Since the origins of football in Portugal a century ago, the country’s football landscape has been dominated by the Tres Grandes (Big Three) of Benfica, Sporting and Porto. But that could be about to change, as an increasingly strong case can be made to include Braga in such exalted company given the club’s sustained growth over the past 20 years.
On August 29, Braga beat Panathinaikos in Athens to book their place in the Champions League group stage. Less than a week later, back at their home in the beautiful Minho region of northern Portugal, the club had another day of celebration as the second phase of their “Sports City” was inaugurated amid much pomp and circumstance.
The ceremony to mark the opening of the multi-million-euro complex that includes a hotel, ten football pitches, a multi-sports pavilion, a new
