What would Champions League qualification mean for SC Braga?

SC Braga, once the plucky underdogs aiming for the stars in their bid to challenge Portugal’s established elite, are just one match away from reaching the group stage of the UEFA Champions League and returning to Europe’s most prestigious club competition for the first time in a decade.

On Tuesday night, Braga take on Panathinaikos in the second leg of the final Champions League qualifying round; after a 2-1 home victory in the reverse tie, Braga head into this one with a slender advantage, and have every chance of making it into the group stage draw on Thursday.

It is impossible to overstate what an achievement that would be for the club, and if you were concerned that the significance of this prospect was merely going to pass them by, you can very much think again.

Regrettably, it is very difficult to see this opportunity returning for the Minho club anytime soon. Over the last decade, despite Portugal regularly being able to have 3 teams qualify for the Champions League, Braga have not managed to do so until this year, thanks to the strength of the traditional Big Three in the country.

Now, things have become even more difficult. Portugal dropping to 7th in the UEFA Coefficient rankings means that, from next season on, they will have only 2 Champions League qualifying berths available to them. Finishing above one of the Big Three is tough enough for the Arsenalistas; having to finish above two of them to qualify for the Champions League is a formidable task, and one that Braga have only managed once in their history.

And looking at the strength of the performances of the Dutch clubs in Europe over the last couple of years, it is difficult to see when Portugal will be able to reclaim a top 6 place in the rankings.

This is therefore a rare and exciting opportunity for Braga, and you can’t say they haven’t gone all out to make it a reality.

This summer, they have brought in an impressive blend of experienced pros, players once heralded as stars of the future who have yet to fully live up to the hype, proven Primeira Liga players, and young prospects.

In the experienced category, you have two members of Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning team - Jose Fonte (39 years old), who was captain of Lille last season and played 31 of their 38 Ligue 1 matches, and Joao Moutinho (36), Portugal’s 2nd most capped player of all time and one of the most elegant central midfielders perhaps the game has ever seen.

In terms of the other well-known names that they’ve brought in this window, the pacey Bruma (28) was brought in on a permanent basis and has been a regular starter, already contributing 3 goals this season, while Rony Lopes (27), once of Manchester City and Monaco, was also signed. He is yet to have the same impact and has rarely featured, but appears to be an excellent squad option for the club.

As they sought to also get some proven Primeira Liga quality, Gil Vicente duo Adrian Marin and Vitor Carvalho, both 26, were signed, and have already been regulars, shrewd cheap signings that add another type of experience to the club.

The additions of Rodrigo Salazar and Victor Gomez round off what has been an exceptional and ambitious transfer window, and one that could take Braga to the next level required.

So just how big would Champions League qualification be?

Competitively, you could certainly make the argument that Braga would be better served dropping into the Europa League. They would, after all, go into the draw of Europe’s secondary competition as a pot 1 team, and could harbor genuine ambitions of going far in the competition, perhaps even winning it.

In the Champions League, should they get past Panathinaikos, they will be a pot 3 side, and face the prospect of taking on the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Liverpool. But that is what it’s all about.

It has been a very long time since we have had the chance of seeing Braga test themselves against the very best on the continent. The possibility of seeing Braga take on these heavyweights is as exciting as it is remarkable, and would once again place Braga in a position in which they can consider themselves genuine European heavyweights.

Having 3 Portuguese teams in Europe’s primary club competition is always an excellent accomplishment too, and the knock-on effect of Braga making the group stage extends beyond just this season. The financial windfall for Braga would be considerable. For Premier League sides, the prize money may not seem like much, such is the television deals in England, but for Portuguese sides - in particular the likes of Braga, who rarely spend the amount of money they would get for merely making the group stage in a single transfer window.

For the long-term, Champions League qualification could give Braga the boost required to kick on again and continue to close the gap with the biggest sides in the nation. When they do that, perhaps they can dream of one day doing even more in the Champions League than just making up the numbers. For now, though, that would very much be enough for supporters, who crave just to see their beloved side back in the big time.