Former Porto captain Costa dies aged 53
Jorge Costa is a retired Portuguese footballer and current football manager, best known for being a tough, no-nonsense central defender and long-time captain of FC Porto.
Full name: Jorge Paulo Costa Almeida
Born: October 14, 1971, in Porto, Portugal
Playing style: Aggressive, physically dominant centre-back nicknamed “O Bicho” (The Beast) for his rugged style.
Club career:
Spent the majority of his career at FC Porto, winning numerous Primeira Liga titles, domestic cups, and the 2004 UEFA Champions League under José Mourinho.
Read More
Also had loan spells at Marítimo and Charlton Athletic (in the Premier League).
International career: Earned over 50 caps for Portugal, playing at Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup.
Managerial career: After retiring in 2006, he turned to coaching, managing clubs in Portugal, Romania, Cyprus, and the Middle East, as well as national teams like Gabon.
He’s remembered as one of Portugal’s hardest defenders, the kind of player who’d tackle through a brick wall if it meant winning the ball.
Jose Mourinho has shared his thoughts about the legendary Jorge Costa
“It’s part of my history that goes,” the 62-year-old Mourinho said.
“You have captains and you have leaders. It’s not always about the armband but what you represent,” Mourinho continued. “And Jorge was one of these guys who cleaned the garbage and let the coach do his job as a coach.
“That’s perfection for a coach when his captain does this work. Of course, I’m very sad it’s part of my history that goes. But let’s forget football, let’s focus on him, on Jorge, on his kids, who I met when they were really kids, but now are grown men.
“And I’m here now because if he could speak with me now he would tell me, come on, do your press conference. And he would say tomorrow play the game Mister, win the game and forget about me. That would be Jorge.
‘”So that’s what I’m going to try and do, do my job today, do my job tomorrow and then cry after. But today and tomorrow I have a job to do and I know Jorge would tell me to do my job,” Mourinho added.
Also Read- 10 Lesser-Known Careers In Football 2025
