Jose Mourinho nearly brought to tears as he pays homage to ex-captain
Mourinho, now Fenerbahce manager, was in Rotterdam for a press conference ahead of their Champions League qualifier against Feyenoord and he paid tribute to his former captain Costa, who passed away from a cardiac arrest on Tuesday aged 53.
Costa was the captain of Mourinho's famous Porto side that won the Champions League in 2004. That side beat Manchester United, Lyon, and Monaco in the final to win just their second Champions League title, with Costa the man bestowed with the honour of lifting the trophy. Captain Jorge Costa and goalkeeper Vitor Baia of FC Porto lift the Champions League trophy. Pic:That win catapulted Mourinho's career as he moved to Chelsea that summer and the rest as they say is history. Costa remained in Porto for another season before retiring with Belgian side Standard Liege in 2006. Costa then embarked on a nomadic coaching career of his own, starting off in Portugal and on through a lot of Europe, Africa and India for a brief time.
He returned to Porto last summer, where he took up the role as Director of Football following ex-Chelsea Boss Andre Villas-Boas' successful Presidential bid. However, during a training session on Tuesday 5th August, Costa suffered a sudden heart attack and he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital. Jorge Costa. Pic:'It's part of my history that goes', an upset Mourinho said at the press conference as he remembered Costa.
'You have captains and you have leaders. It's not always about the armband but what you represent, 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. Jose Mourinho. Pic: Yannick Verhoeven/Newhouse Media/'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.' Jose Mourinho. Pic: Yannick Verhoeven/Newhouse Media/Mourinho's Fenerbahce side face a stern contest against Dutch side Feyenoord in the Champions League qualifier this week. The first leg is in the famous De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam with the next leg being back in Istanbul next Tuesday.
There will then be a final play-off round for the last Champions League spots before the draw takes place on August 28th in Monaco. The competition proper will then begin the following month on Tuesday, 16th September.
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