'The most emotional moment of my career' - Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal wins cup with boyhood club

Carlos Carvalhal was celebrating yesterday after leading his boyhood club to glory in the Portuguese Cup final.
SC Braga´s players celebrate winning the 'Taca de Portugal' (Portugal's Cup) final football match against SL Benfica at the EFAPEL stadium in Coimbra on May 23, 2021. (Photo by CARLOS COSTA / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)SC Braga´s players celebrate winning the 'Taca de Portugal' (Portugal's Cup) final football match against SL Benfica at the EFAPEL stadium in Coimbra on May 23, 2021. (Photo by CARLOS COSTA / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)
SC Braga´s players celebrate winning the 'Taca de Portugal' (Portugal's Cup) final football match against SL Benfica at the EFAPEL stadium in Coimbra on May 23, 2021. (Photo by CARLOS COSTA / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)

Braga beat giants Benfica 2-0 to lift the Taça de Portugal for only the third time in their history after a fiery encounter in the Algarve.

Benfica went down to ten-men after just 17 minutes when Helton Leite was sent off and Lucas Piazon subsequently opened the scoring.

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Ricardo Horta doubled the lead after the break and from then, there was no way back for the Eagles, who had another player sent off late in the game after a brawl which saw former Tottenham and QPR forward Adel Taarabt also sent off along with Braga’s first goalscorer Piazon.

Winning the cup was a poignant moment for former Sheffield Wednesday boss Carvalhal, who grew up supporting Braga and after a nomadic managerial career, has brought success to his team.

He tweeted in the early hours of this morning: “My parents took me to the Estádio 1º de Maio when I was just a baby. Never could I have imagined that one day I would lift a trophy with @SCBragaOficial, the club I've followed since I was born. Today is the most emotional day of my career. WE'RE PORTUGUESE CUP WINNERS!!”

Carvalhal earlier thanked his players for giving him the opportunity to win the trophy for a club that means so much to him.

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He told Publico: “My parents went to see the games when I was a baby. That has always been my life, going to the stadium on Sundays. I am from the city, all my friends and family are from Sp. Braga, I think I personally know half of the fans of Sp. Braga. It is my club, it was something that I always wanted. It was what I had inside of me and I am grateful to my players for that.”

Carvalhal is in his second spell with Braga, taking over at the edn of last season following his departure from Rio Ave, where he had also enjoyed success.

Tending not to spend too long in the one place, the popular former Owls boss has always maintained he would like to return to manage in England again one day.

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