SC Braga begin construction on new stadium to complete long-term ‘Sports City’ project

Avatar
SC Braga
Image credit: SC Braga

Primeira Liga football club SC Braga have officially started works for the construction of Estádio Centenário, a new 2,600-seat stadium that will serve as the home of its women’s team and Men’s B team, and is scheduled to be completed at the beginning of the 2024/25 season. 

Features of the stadium complex include a 250-space car park, four changing rooms, a medical department, gym, first-aid room, anti-doping room, work rooms, a press room, a tribune dedicated to social communication and LED lighting of 1,400 lux, which makes it possible to hold games at night. 

The Centenario Stadium – which has been planned and mapped out since 2017 – will be the final step in completing the ambitious infrastructural two-phase ‘Sports City’ project made by SC Braga. 

The stadium is a part of ‘Phase 1’ which involves building a large-scale Training Centre consisting of nine training fields with two of them qualified to host official matches as well as a beach soccer field in addition to the Centenario Stadium.  

The 2nd phase of ‘Cidade Desportiva’ – which is soon to be completed – will involve the 250-space underground car park, a residential area space for the professional teams, and the opening of the SC Braga museum in January 2025 to recognise the club’s rich culture and history.  

With these upgrades and new complexes inside the Sports city, SC Braga are taking a step in the right direction for their future as a club on and off the pitch.  

They hope to create a system which encourages young male players and senior women players to get involved with the club as well as improve facilities for the first team. 

Whilst the first team will still play its home matches at the Estádio Municipal de Braga with a 30,000 seat capacity, the goal of this ‘Sports City’ complex and the Centenario Stadium was to shift their focus on expanding the club as a brand and to become a more complete football club involving academies and the women’s team.  

With a long-term plan committed to and completed, as well as a strong 78-point third place finish in the league last season, Braga’s hopeful rise to the peak of Liga Portugal’s summit could be sooner than ever before for the historic club.  

Previous ArticleNext Article

More than 220 coaches attend Football South Australia’s second NOVA Youth Club Championship workshop

Avatar
Image Credit: FQ

Football South Australia drew more than 220 coaches to its second NOVA Youth Club Championship Coaches Workshop in late May, underlining the scale of engagement clubs are generating through the state’s restructured youth competition framework.

The online session was facilitated by Football SA Technical Director Michael Cooper, who also serves as Junior Matildas Head Coach. Cooper shared observations from the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup and Australia’s qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, giving club-level coaches a window into the demands and standards of elite international football.

The presenter line-up extended that international lens further. Lachlan Tosh and Cristiano Dos Santos spoke to their experiences in national tournament environments, while legendary Australian coach Tom Sermanni addressed the fundamentals of youth coaching. Colin Sanctuary from the University of Newcastle examined coaching language and its direct influence on player learning.

Themes running across the session included the primacy of long-term player development over short-term results, with presenters consistently emphasising technique, ball mastery, individual improvement, and decision-making under pressure. Coaches were encouraged to expose players to varied styles of play, facilitate practice outside organised training, and help young players retain possession longer in match conditions.

Post-session feedback pointed to strong practical value, with coaches singling out clear communication, relationship-building, and age-appropriate feedback as key takeaways.

The workshop series sits within the broader transition from the Youth Premier League to the Club Championship model, which ties coaching participation to championship points for clubs and CPD credits toward individual coaching diplomas. Six workshops are scheduled across the season, with four still to come.

Premier League backs grassroots football in Singapore

Avatar
Image credit: Premier League

The NEXTGEN coach programme saw past legends and current coaches unite to deliver an activity intent on supporting grassroots football through high quality and inclusive coaching.

 

Creating new leaders

To reach the top in elite football requires tactical education, personal guidance and consistent support throughout the development journey.

Coaches therefore take on a great deal of responsibility for players seeking a top-flight dream.

Yet even for those who never make it to the top, there is always one coach who stands out. Not necessarily for the silverware achieved or results on the pitch, but for the way they helped build a person off the pitch to play better on it.

The Premier League’s NEXTGEN Coach programme in Singapore aims to equip coaches with the skills and knowledge to do exactly that: creating welcoming environments which nurture confidence and a love for the game.

“This will hugely benefit local coaches, providing them with expert training and skills that will cascade into the communities they coach in,” said Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, via media release.

“After opening the League’s first international office in Singapore more than seven years ago, we are now building on our commitment to the country with a structured coach development programme.”

 

What does the programme include?

The programme initially saw Premier League coaches deliver training sessions to coaches from StarHub – the League’s broadcast partner in Singapore who engage with local community football.

Furthermore, the training was consolidated through stakeholder engagement events and talks from 150 students at the Institute of Technical Education about their careers in the game.

In total, the programme saw 30 coaches take part – all from diverse backgrounds selected by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to maximise community reach and positively impact as many young individuals as possible.

“Youth development is a key priority for FAS, and it starts at the grassroots level,” explained FAS General Secretary, Badri Ghent via media release.

“Coaches play a central role in shaping not just how young players learn the game, but how they experience it, building confidence, character and a lifelong connection to football.”

Through high quality programmes like NEXTGEN, grassroots football can grow to ensure future coaches and players are confident in themselves and their future roles in the game.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend