| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cláudio José Ferreira Braga | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-11-23)23 November 1974 (age 51) | ||
| Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al Wasl (sporting director) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2014 | Santa Clara | ||
| 2015 | 's-Gravenzande | ||
| 2016–2017 | Nieuwerkerk | ||
| 2018 | Fortuna Sittard | ||
| 2018 | Marítimo | ||
| 2019–2020 | Dordrecht | ||
| 2025 | Excelsior Maassluis | ||
Cláudio José Ferreira Braga (born 23 November 1974) is a Portuguese professionalfootballmanager and executive who is thesporting director ofUAE Pro League clubAl Wasl.
Braga began his career as youth trainer with the academies ofExcelsior,Sparta Rotterdam,Feyenoord,PSV, andJong FC Utrecht. He had his first stint as manager withSanta Clara in 2014, in theLiga Portugal 2. He returned to the Netherlands to coach various amateur teams, before being appointed as interim manager withFortuna Sittard. He managed to get them promoted into theEredivisie in his short stint there.[1] He was then named the manager ofMarítimo in thePrimeira Liga on 12 June 2018.[2]
On 21 December 2018, Braga was appointed head coach of DutchEerste Divisie clubDordrecht on a one-and-a-half-year contract.[3] After failing to lead the club from the lower regions of the league table, he was dismissed on 8 February 2020.[4]
Ahead of the2020–21 season, Braga became technical director ofUAE Pro League sideAl Wahda. After one season, he was appointed youth academy director ofIsraeli Premier League clubMaccabi Tel Aviv.[5] On 28 November 2023, Braga reached an agreement with the club to step down from his role.[6] Several youth coaches at Maccabi Tel Aviv had beendrafted to theIsrael Defense Forces following the2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, complicating his position at the club.[7][8]
On 24 December 2024, Braga was appointed head coach ofTweede Divisie clubExcelsior Maassluis, initially aimed at starting for the2025–26 season.[9] He would step into the role prematurely in April 2025, due toCesco Agterberg stepping down from his role. After two successful months, he left the club in June 2025, as he had accepted the position ofsporting director ofUAE Pro League clubAl Wasl.[10][11]