Abel Braga, the head coach of Brazilian club Internacional, has issued an apology for an anti-gay comment he made regarding his team’s pink training vests.
During his unveiling on Sunday, marking his eighth tenure with the struggling team, the 73-year-old Braga recounted a conversation with club director Andres D’Alessandro and made a joking remark about the pink vests.
Braga, who has agreed to coach Internacional until the end of the 2025 Brazilian championship without pay—a decision he requested—later took to Instagram to apologize, saying, “Fans of Internacional, I want to acknowledge that I made an inappropriate comment about the color pink during my press conference.”
“Before this becomes a bigger issue, I apologize. Colors do not define gender; it’s character that matters. Internacional needs unity and dedication. Let’s go, Inter!”
Currently, Internacional finds itself in the relegation zone, tied on points with Santos, who hold the last safe position with only two games left in the season.
Throughout its 116-year history, the Porto Alegre club has been relegated only once.