The Estádio Municipal de Braga (') is an all-seater football stadium located in Braga, Portugal, and the current home of Sporting Clube de Braga. It has a capacity of 30,286 spectators, making it the seventh largest football stadium in Portugal. The stadium was designed by Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura who was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in part for this design.
The stadium is owned by the municipality of Braga. Its nickname is A Pedreira (The Quarry), since it was carved into the side of a hill at its south end. The stadium was built in 2003 as a designated venue for the UEFA Euro 2004.
History
The project to build a stadium was developed in 2000 by architect Eduardo Souto Moura. On 5 June, the program to build the new municipal stadium for the European championships in 2004 began, promoted by the municipal council of Braga.
During the UEFA European Championship in 2004, it was the site of 2 matches: the Group C game between Bulgaria and Denmark (18 June 2004) and the Group D game between Netherlands and Latvia (22 June 2004). A Financial Times article on Britain's stadia referred to the municipal stadium as one of the four examples of "beautiful grounds", noting that: "There has been nothing in this country to match the architectural delight of Eduardo Souto de Moura’s stadium for Braga in Portugal, a breathtaking arena carved into the side of a rock face on the site of a former quarry."
In July 2007, Sporting Braga announced a three-year sponsorship deal with French insurance company AXA, which included a promotional change to the name of the municipal stadium by the club. Following this agreement, promoters and team officials began to refer to the municipal stadium of Braga as the Estádio AXA (AXA Stadium). However, the municipality (as landlord) clarified that the stadium had not been officially renamed, as this was a deal between its tenant and its partner. On 23 October 2009, the process to classify the stadium ran out, under terms of article 78 (decree 309/2009) but was prorogued on 23 October.
Architecture
235px|thumb|The quarry face and lateral stands, showing the steel-string canopy
235px|thumb|A view of the causeway and staircases servicing the stands and concession
The stadium is situated in an isolated, urban area on the north flank of Monte do Castro, in the sporting park of Dume.
Events
- The stadium plaza held the Minho Campus Party, a LAN party, in 2004.
- The Corrs performed at the stadium in 2004 on their Borrowed Heaven Tour.
- The outskirts of the stadium annually host the "Enterro da Gata", a university festival that celebrates the end of the school year with multiple concerts and festivities, organized by the University of Minho.
2004 European Championship
thumb|235px|A view at the Municipal Stadium during the 2004 UEFA Netherlands-Latvia match
The stadium hosted two Euro 2004 group stage matches, Bulgaria vs. Denmark and Netherlands vs. Latvia.
{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! !! Result !! !! Round
!Attendance
|-
| 18 June 2004 || || 0–2 || || Group C
|24,131
|-
| 23 June 2004 || || 3–0 || || Group D
|27,904
|}
Portugal National Team
The following national team matches were held in the stadium.
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Date !! Score !! Opponent !! Competition
!Attendance
|- style="background: #FFCCCC"
| 1. || 31 March 2004 || 1–2 || || Friendly
|25,000
|- style="background: #FFFFCC"
| 2. || 15 October 2008 || 0–0 || || 2010 World Cup qualification
|29,500
|- style="background: #CCFFCC"
| 3. || 11 September 2012 || 3–0 || || 2014 World Cup qualification
|29,971
|- style="background: #CCFFCC"
| 4. || 8 October 2015 || 1–0 || || Euro 2016 qualifying
|29,860
|- style="background: #FFFFCC"
| 5. || 28 May 2018 || 2–2 || || Friendly
|17,220
|- style="background: #FFCCCC"
| 6 || 27 September 2022 || 0–1 || || 2022–23 UEFA Nations League|| 28,196
|-
|}
References
Notes
Sources
External links
- Braga stadium design page on WorldStadiums.com (with photographs)
- afaconsult: Engineering design firm of the Braga Municipal Stadium
- Stadium Guide Article