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

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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.  

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Blacktown District Soccer Football Association Launches Youth League and Poaching Program

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Blacktown District Soccer Football Association has outlined a package of initiatives for the 2026 season centred on youth development, coach education and the celebration of female participation, as the Western Sydney association moves to raise standards across community football and strengthen pathways into state-level competition.

The centrepiece of the association’s development agenda is the Blacktown Youth Development League, a new competition structure spanning all youth Division One competitions in the Under-13 to Under-18 age groups, including Phoenix League female competitions involving both BDSFA and GDSFA clubs. The league applies a benchmarking framework adapted from Football NSW‘s junior competition standards, with clubs encouraged to implement structured training environments including a minimum of two sessions per week where possible.

BDSFA General Manager Owen Liiv said the initiative responded to clear demand from within the football community for more substantive development environments.

“It is pretty clear that people want more and better football experiences,” Liiv said. “The measure for us is high-quality youth football competitions within Blacktown and ultimately, stronger performances in state-wide competitions such as the Football NSW State Cup or Football NSW Champion of Champions.”

The referees branch will support the league by prioritising Division One fixtures and providing three-person match control where available, an operational commitment that acknowledges the role officiating quality plays in the overall development environment.

The Managerial Infrastructure

Running alongside the youth competition is a free coach education program, with Foundation of Football courses delivered across BDSFA’s 24 member clubs by permanent association staff. With more than 1,000 registered coaches across the district, BDSFA has set a target of 85 percent achieving Foundation of Football accreditation within three years. Removing cost as a barrier to accreditation is a deliberate structural choice, reflecting growing recognition across Australian football that coaching quality at community level is inseparable from participation outcomes.

The association also launched Female Football Week with a “Cocktails on the Pitch” event at Blacktown Football Park, attended by close to 100 players, coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers. Former Matilda Leah Blayney addressed the gathering, speaking about her pathway from Wentworth Falls to international football. BDSFA has indicated the event is likely to become an annual fixture on the association calendar.

Taken together, the initiatives reflect an association investing deliberately in the structural conditions that determine whether community football grows sustainably rather than opportunistically.

Manchester City open new training centre for Women’s First Team

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Image credit: Manchester City

The training centre opened earlier this week, following years of planning, investment and ambition for Manchester City Women.

State-of-the-art facilities

Recently crowned WSL Champions, Manchester City Women will now be able to train, prepare and recover in a truly special, purpose-built facility.

Covering 17,000 square feet, a world-class gym, strength & conditioning facilities and dressing room, the site will help players  to maximise performances on the pitch.

But given the facilities also received input from players and staff, inspiring added touches like social spaces and recognition for players with over 100 appearances, it is clear that this is a deeply personal project for all involved at Manchester City Women.

As Managing Director of Manchester City Women, Charlotte O’Neill, highlighted, the training centre is a symbol of excellence and ambition.

“This building is about so much more than bricks and mortar,” O’Neill said via press release.

“It is about creating an environment here our players can thrive, where standards are set at the very highest level and where the current squad has everything it needs to continue to compete for and win silverware.”

A winning project, for a winning team. The training centre is sure to propel Manchester City Women to even greater heights in the seasons to come.

 

Continuing investment trends

Furthermore, as the result of an AUD 18.6 million (GBP 10 million) investment and purpose-built for Manchester City Women, it is yet another example of the current strength of WSL investment.

Just a few weeks ago, Brighton & Hove Albion unveiled plans to construct a new venue for its women’s team, delivering on a clear intention to support commercial growth and infrastructure in the women’s game.

But even after winning their first WSL title this season, the message from the board is clear: Manchester City Women are a fundamental part of the club’s long-term vision.

“This new facility marks the next logical step in our long-term commitment to Manchester City Women, and is an important milestone for the club as a whole,” said Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

“We have always believed in investing to create the right environment for players and staff to develop and succeed. That approach has underpinned every aspect of our work since the professional relaunch of Manchester City Women in 2014.”

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