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Rui Costa

Personal information
Full name	Rui Manuel César Costa
Date of birth	(1972-03-29) March 29, 1972 (age 40)
Place of birth	Amadora, Portugal
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Benfica (Director of football)
Youth career
1977–1990	Benfica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1990–1994	Benfica	107	(18)
1990–1991	→ Fafe (loan)	38	(6)
1994–2001	Fiorentina	239	(40)
2001–2006	Milan	169	(4)
2006–2008	Benfica	43	(5)
Total		596	(73)
National team
1991	Portugal U20	11	(1)
1992	Portugal U21	5	(1)
1993–2004	Portugal	94	(26)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Rui Manuel César Costa, OIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁuj ˈkɔʃtɐ]; born 29 March 1972) is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. An attacking midfielder also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder. Renowned for his fine technique and his excellent passing, he's now considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100, as one of the 125 greatest living football players.

Club career[link]

At the age of five, Costa joined the infant indoor football team of Damaia Ginásio Clube. Rui tried his luck at Benfica. Within ten minutes of training, Portugal legend Eusébio, who was supervising the youngsters, was impressed at Rui's skills. Up until 1990, Rui played for Benfica's youth squads. That season he was loaned to Fafe on a season long deal.

In 1991, after the Under-21 World Cup, which Portugal won after a victorious penalty kick scored by Costa, he returned to Benfica. There, he won the Cup of Portugal in 1993 and the Portuguese First Division title in 1993–94. This would be Benfica's last league title for 11 years.

AC Fiorentina[link]

At the end of his third season in Benfica's senior squad, Fiorentina offered 1200 million escudos (about €6 million) for the young midfielder, an impressive fee at the time. Since Benfica was struggling with financial problems, Rui Costa had to leave.

Despite the heavy competition with the best midfielders in that time such as Zinedine Zidane, Costa was named the best number 10 player in the Serie A a few times. His departure from Fiorentina was discussed every season, since many clubs constantly showed interest in signing him. However, he only left when Fiorentina went bankrupt after the 2001–02 season.

AC Milan[link]

Fatih Terim was the coach of Fiorentina in the 2000–01 season. When he was leaving Fiorentina for Milan, he took Costa with him, paying a reported £30 million for the player.^[1] In doing so, Costa became Milan's most expensive transfer of all-time. Costa played five seasons in Milan, where he won one Serie A title, one Italian Cup, one Italian Super Cup, one UEFA Champions League, and one European Super Cup.

In 2003, Brazilian youngster Kaká joined the ranks at Milan and relegated Costa to the bench. Though pleased with Kaká's success, he was disappointed to be restricted to the bench in the twilight of his career.

In 2004, Costa played his last match for the Portuguese squad at the UEFA Euro 2004 final, when Portugal lost to underdogs Greece 1–0 in what was considered a titanic upset.

Benfica[link]

On 25 May 2006, Costa's return to Benfica to play for the forthcoming season was announced in a press conference. He had been released from Milan after both the player and the club reached an agreement to end his contract. Costa also gave up his €4.6 million per year contract to play in the club that, year after year, had dreamt of his return.^[2] Costa's affection for Benfica is publicly known and so is his desire to end his career at the Portuguese club. On 11 May 2008, Costa played his last game for Benfica against Vitória de Setúbal before announcing his retirement from football.

On the following day, Costa was presented as the new leader of the football department, hiring Quique Sánchez Flores as the new manager of Benfica and being responsible for the formation of the team in the next season.

During the 2008 Summer transfer window, Costa was able – already as Director of Football – to sign a few well-known players, such as Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar and bringing in Spanish left-winger José Antonio Reyes and Honduran striker David Suazo in on loan, thus gaining general praise from both board and fans alike.

On the following Summer, Costa further increased his efforts to build a solid Benfica team, with such signings as Argentinean striker Javier Saviola, Brazilian centre midfielder Ramires and Spanish defensive midfielder Javi García, along with experienced Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus. This effort was rewarded with Benfica’s victory in the Portuguese League.

International career[link]

Rui Costa was a member of Portugal’s most consistent years at senior level as the team reached the quarter-finals of Euro 1996, the semi-finals of Euro 2000, and the final of Euro 2004. Costa was especially instrumental in helping Portugal reach the 2004 final on home soil, scoring a screamer of a goal at his beloved Estadio da Luz against England in the quarter-final match, and the sight of a distraught Rui Costa at the end of the heartbreaking 1–0 defeat to Greece is one of the enduring images of the tournament. Costa also took part in the World Cup 2002 in Japan and South Korea scoring Portugal's winning goal in their 4–0 win over Poland. The only time in his career that Costa was sent off was in an international game against Germany.

Despite being principally a provider, Costa chipped in with a highly impressive 26 goals in 94 games.

Golden Generation[link]

In the summer of 1991 his displays at Fafe had impressed Portugal Under-21 coach Carlos Queiroz so much that he was called up to the team to represent Portugal in the World Youth Cup. The Portuguese under-20 national team won a World Youth Championship in 1991. His clinching penalty kick against Brasil in the final helped win the title on home soil and announced Costa as one of the brightest members of what would become known as the “Golden Generation.”

With their success at youth level, much was expected of the Portuguese national team at senior level. However, they did not win a major international tournament at senior level. Despite not winning any major international titles, they managed to bring Portugal to their finest moments since the days of the legendary Eusébio in the 1960s.

International goals[link]

Rui Costa: International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
	26 June 1991	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	Australia	1–0	1–0	1991 FIFA World Youth Championship
	May 27 1992	France	Scotland	1–0	1–0	Toulon Tournament
	May 31 1992	France	Mexico		5–1	Toulon Tournament
	May 31 1992	France	Mexico		5–1	Toulon Tournament
	May 31 1992	France	Mexico		5–1	Toulon Tournament
	15 April 1994	Stade des Costières, Nîmes, France	Spain	2–0	2–0	1994 UEFA Under-21 Championship
1	19 June 1993	Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal	Malta	2–0	4–0	World Cup 1994 Qualifying
2	5 September 1993	Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	0–1	0–2	World Cup 1994 Qualifying
3	7 September 1994	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	0–1	1–2	Euro 1996 Qualifying
4	15 August 1995	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0–3	0–7	Euro 1996 Qualifying
5	15 August 1995	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0–6	0–7	Euro 1996 Qualifying
6	15 September 1995	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Republic of Ireland	1–0	3–0	Euro 1996 Qualifying
7	24 January 1996	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	France	1–2	3–2	Friendly
8	9 October 1996	Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania	Albania	0–3	0–3	World Cup 1998 Qualifying
9	19 August 1998	Estádio de São Miguel (Ponta Delgada), Ponta Delgada, Portugal	Mozambique	1–0	2–1	Friendly
10	19 August 1998	Estádio de São Miguel (Ponta Delgada), Ponta Delgada, Portugal	Mozambique	2–0	2–1	Friendly
11	6 September 1998	Puskás Ferenc Stadium, Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	1–3	1–3	Euro 2000 Qualifying
12	31 March 1999	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0–1	0–5	Euro 2000 Qualifying
13	31 March 1999	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0–5	0–5	Euro 2000 Qualifying
14	9 June 1999	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Liechtenstein	7–0	8–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
15	9 June 1999	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Liechtenstein	8–0	8–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
16	18 August 1999	Estádio Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal	Andorra	1–0	4–0	Friendly
17	9 October 1999	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Hungary	1–0	3–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
18	29 March 2000	Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal	Denmark	1–1	2–1	Friendly
19	16 August 2000	Estádio do Fontelo, Viseu, Portugal	Lithuania	3–1	5–1	Friendly
20	3 September 2000	Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	0–1	1–3	2002 World Cup Qualifying
21	10 June 2002	Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea	Poland	4–0	4–0	2002 World Cup
22	16 October 2002	Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden	Sweden	2–3	2–3	Friendly
23	11 October 2003	Estádio do Restelo, Lisboa, Portugal	Albania	3–2	5–3	Friendly
24	29 May 2004	Estádio Municipal de Águeda, Águeda, Portugal	Luxembourg	3–0	3–0	Friendly
25	16 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	Russia	0–2	0–2	Euro 2004
26	24 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	England	2–1	2–2	Euro 2004

Honours[link]

Team[link]

Benfica

• Taça de Portugal: 1993
• Portuguese Liga: 1993–94

Fiorentina

• Coppa Italia: 1996, 2001
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1996

AC Milan

• UEFA Champions League: 2003
• UEFA Super Cup: 2003
• Coppa Italia: 2003
• Serie A: 2003–04
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2004

National team

• UEFA European Football Championship: (Runner-up) 2004, (3rd Place) 2000
• FIFA U-20 World Cup: (Champion – 1st place) 1991
• European Under-21 Football Championship: (runner-up) 1994
• UEFA Under-18 Championship: (runner up) 1990
• Toulon Tournament: (winner) 1992

Individual[link]

• Toulon Tournament 1992: Best Player
• Toulon Tournament 1992: Top Scorer
• UEFA European Championship Teams of the Tournament: 1996, 2000
• FIFA 100
• SJPF Player of the Month: September 2007
• 2007 Benfica Awards: Player of the Year

Career statistics[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Rui Costa PortuGOAL profile
• Rui Costa's stats and profile
• Rui Costa's Unofficial Website
• Rui Costa's Career Retrospective
• UEFA Bio