portuguese football player
This article is about the football player. For the cyclist, see Rui Costa ( cyclist )
César and the second or paternal family name is Costa. In this portuguese appoint, the first or maternal syndicate list isand the second gear or paternal family identify is

Rui Manuel César Costa OIH ( portuguese pronunciation : [ ʁuj ˈkɔʃtɐ ] ; born 29 March 1972 ) is a portuguese former professional football player who is the thirty-fourth president of the united states of sports club S.L. Benfica. [ 1 ] He besides succeeded Luís Filipe Vieira as president of the united states of the club ‘s SAD dining table of directors. Regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football and one of Portugal ‘s best players in late history, [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Costa normally played as an attacking midfielder and was finical known for his excellent technique, playmaking ability, and eye for finish from midfield. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 as one of the 125 greatest know football players. [ 4 ] Nicknamed “ The Maestro ” and “ Il Musagete ”, [ 3 ] Costa spent the majority of his career with Benfica in Portugal and Fiorentina and AC Milan in Italy. In a top-flight career spanning 17 years, he won respective trophies, including one Primeira Liga championship, one Taça de Portugal, one Serie A title, three Coppa Italia, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup. A portuguese international, he amassed 94 caps and scored 26 goals for A Seleção and represented the state in three UEFA european Championships and one FIFA World Cup .

Club career [edit ]

Benfica [edit ]

At senesce five, Costa joined the baby indoor football team of Damaia Ginásio Clube. Costa tried his luck at Benfica. Within ten minutes of educate, Portugal legend Eusébio, who was supervising the youngsters, was impressed with Costa ‘s skills. Up until 1990, Costa played for Benfica ‘s young squads. In his first full season, he was loaned to A.D. Fafe on a season-long deal. [ 5 ] In 1991, after the Under-21 World Cup, which Portugal won after a penalty kick scored by Costa, he returned to Benfica. In his first full season with Benfica, he was featured regularly in Benfica ‘s team. In his following two seasons, his function in the team would prove to be pivotal as Benfica captured two trophies. He formed a formidable midfield partnership with João Vieira Pinto. During his end two seasons with Benfica in his first spell with the club, he won the Taça de Portugal in 1993 and the Portuguese First Division style in 1993–94. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] This would be Benfica ‘s last league title for 11 years. [ 8 ]

Fiorentina [edit ]

At the end of his third gear season in Benfica ‘s elder police squad, Fiorentina offered 1,200 million escudos ( approximately €6 million ) [ citation needed ] for the young midfielder. Since Benfica were struggling with fiscal problems, Costa had to leave. [ citation needed ] Despite the heavy competition with the best midfielders in that time such as Zinedine Zidane, Costa was named the best count 10 player in Serie A a few times. His passing from Fiorentina was discussed every season, since many clubs constantly showed matter to in signing him. however, he only left Fiorentina one season before their bankruptcy in the 2001–02 season. With the Florentine cabaret, Costa won the Coppa Italia twice, besides winning a Supercoppa Italiana. In June 2001, Fiorentina agreed to sell both Costa and Francesco Toldo to Parma for 140 billion lire. [ 9 ] Despite both players refusal to join, Costa and Toldo were sold to AC Milan and Inter Milan, respectively, for the like sum transfer fee .

AC Milan [edit ]

Fatih Terim was the bus of Fiorentina in the 2000–01 season. When he was leaving Fiorentina for AC Milan, he took Costa with him, [ 10 ] paying 85 billion lire ( €43,898,836 ) for the player. [ 11 ] [ 12 ] In so doing, Costa became Milan ‘s most expensive transfer of all-time. He played five seasons in Milan, where he won one Serie A title, one Coppa Italia, one italian Super Cup, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup. He played less frequently following the arrival of brazilian child Kaká in 2003 .

return to Benfica [edit ]

rib with Benfica in 2007 On 25 May 2006, Costa ‘s reelect to Benfica to play in the approaching season was announced in a imperativeness league. He had been released from Milan after both the player and the club reached an agreement to end his abridge. rib gave up of his €4.6 million per year contract with Milan after he had dream of his return to Benfica year after year. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] His return saw former Benfica and Portugal external Eusébio praise Costa ‘s recurrence. [ 16 ] Costa ‘s first match back saw him start in a 2006–07 UEFA Champions League modifier against Austria Wien in August 2006. [ 17 ] The return leg saw Costa score in his return to the Estádio district attorney Luz in the 21st minute. Benfica would go on to win 3–0 and clinch a set in the group stages of the Champions League. [ 18 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ] Following the start of the season, Costa would suffer a serious injury which would keep him out of action for three months. [ 21 ] Costa returned in January 2007, in a Taça de Portugal fourth round connect against Oliveira do Bairro S.C. . [ 22 ] [ 23 ] Following his return, he was used as a regular in Benfica ‘s starting XI under director Fernando Santos. His first season would see Benfica finish behind rivals Porto and Sporting CP in the Primeira Liga. In other competitions Benfica participated in, the club would be eliminated in the round of 16 in the Taça de Portugal and bow out of the UEFA Cup against Espanyol. prior to start of the 2007–08 Primeira Liga, Costa would announce that the 2007–08 season would be his concluding as a master. Despite the net of Fernando Santos at the begin of the league political campaign, Costa would remain a first team regular under José Antonio Camacho. The first peer of the season saw Costa be decisive in Benfica reaching the Champions League group stage. He scored two goals in a modifier against Copenhagen in the first gear peg. [ 24 ] He would besides play an important separate in the second leg where Benfica defeated the danish side 1–0 away from home to seal Benfica ‘s one-third back-to-back presence in the group stage. [ 25 ] Costa would score his beginning league finish since his rejoinder to Benfica against C.D. Nacional in September 2007. [ 26 ] His displays in the league would earn him the SJPF Player of the Month award for September 2007. Following qualification to the group stage, Benfica was drawn against Costa ‘s former club Milan. The inaugural peer of the group degree in September 2007 saw Benfica take on the Rossoneri at the San Siro, where Milan won 2–1. [ 27 ] The come back regular on matchday 5 would see Milan visit the Estádio district attorney Luz, where the teams drew 1–1. [ 28 ] Benfica would exit the rival in one-third place behind Milan and Celtic, thereby dropping into the hard stages of the UEFA Cup. In the modern year, Benfica dropped versatile points along their political campaign to Académica de Coimbra, Braga, Porto, Sporting CP and União de Leiria, which effectively dropped them out of the claim race. Their failure to compete for the title resulted in Benfica setting their priorities to capture third gear place which secured a Champions League qualification. Benfica would fail to capture third place, which rather would go to newly promoted Vitória de Guimarães. Benfica would besides drop out of the turn of 16 of the UEFA Cup to Spanish english Getafe. Under Costa ‘s captainship, Benfica would besides fall short in the 2007–08 Taça de Portugal, where they lost to Sporting in the semi-finals despite rib seduce in a match which ended 5–3. [ 29 ] Costa played his final catch on 11 May 2008 at the Estádio district attorney Luz against Vitória de Setúbal. He was substituted in the 86th moment to a standing ovation from the spectators. [ 30 ]

International career [edit ]

In the summer of 1991, Costa ‘s displays at Fafe had impressed Portugal Under-21 coach Carlos Queiroz thus a lot 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 punishment kick back against Brazil in the final serve win the title on home land and announced Costa as one of the brightest members of what would become known as the “ Golden Generation. ” Costa was a member of Portugal ‘s most reproducible years at senior horizontal surface as the team reached the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 1996, the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and the final of UEFA Euro 2004. Costa was particularly implemental in helping Portugal reach the 2004 final examination on home territory, scoring a scorcher of a goal at the Estádio district attorney Luz against England in the quarter-final match, and the sight of a distraught costa at the end of a 1–0 defeat to Greece was one of the enduring images of the tournament. Costa besides took part in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, scoring Portugal ‘s winning goal in their 4–0 winnings over Poland. The lone fourth dimension in his career that Costa was sent off was in an international bet on against Germany. Despite being chiefly a supplier, Costa scored 26 goals in 94 games ; he is Portugal ‘s eighth-highest appearance maker and seventh-highest goalscorer. [ 31 ]

style of play [edit ]

Considered one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, [ 3 ] [ 32 ] Costa was a classical number 10, who normally played in a creative character as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers, but was besides able of playing as a deep-lying playmaker, as a second striker, or as a winger. A immediate, intelligent, talented, gifted and elegant player, throughout his career, he was renowned for his fine proficiency, dribbling skills, close control, movement, great imagination, and precise pass, which made him an excellent assist provider, and enabled him to create space for his teammates, or orchestrate his teams ‘ attacking moves. Although he was chiefly known to be an unselfish team player, he besides possessed an eye for goal from midfield, and was an accurate hitter of the ball with both feet, in detail from outside the area. He was besides an accurate dislodge kick and punishment taker. [ 2 ] [ 33 ] [ 34 ] [ 35 ] [ 36 ] [ 37 ] [ 38 ] [ 39 ] [ 40 ] [ 41 ] [ 42 ] Despite his ability, however, he was besides known for being inconsistent. [ 43 ]

Media [edit ]

Costa was sponsored by american sportswear party Nike and appeared in Nike commercials. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] In 1996, he starred in a Nike commercial titled “ good vanadium Evil ” in a gladiatorial game set in a Roman amphitheater. Appearing aboard football players from around the universe, including Ronaldo, Paolo Maldini, Eric Cantona, Luís Figo and Patrick Kluivert, they defend “ the beautiful game “ against a team of demonic warriors, before it culminates with Cantona striking the ball and destroying evil. [ 44 ] Rui Costa features in EA Sports ‘ FIFA football video recording game series ; he was included in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 16. [ 46 ]

Post-playing career [edit ]

Sporting director [edit ]

On the day after his final professional game, Costa was presented as director of football at Benfica, hiring Quique Sánchez Flores as head coach and being responsible for the constitution of the team in the adjacent season. During the summer 2008 transfer window, Costa was able – already as conductor of football – to sign a few well-known players, such as Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar and bringing in spanish winger José Antonio Reyes and Honduran striker David Suazo in on loanword, frankincense gaining general praise from both board and fans alike. On the trace Summer, Costa further increased his efforts to build a more strengthen Benfica team following a disappointing league campaign in the previous season. He would make respective high-profile signings such as Argentine striker Javier Saviola, brazilian attacking midfielder Ramires and spanish defensive midfielder Javi García, along with know Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus. [ 47 ] [ 48 ] [ 49 ] [ 50 ] His major signings would prove to be successful as Benfica would win the Primeira Liga in the 2009–10 season for the first base time in five years. Benfica would besides win the Taça district attorney Liga in the lapp season defeating Porto in the final .

management [edit ]

On 14 May 2008, Costa was appointed an administrator of Benfica SAD. [ 51 ] For the 2020–24 quadrennial, he became a vice-president of the club ‘s board of directors, as separate of Luís Filipe Vieira ‘s list for a sixth consecutive mandate. [ 52 ] After acting as interim president of the united states of the club and its SAD from 9 July 2021, [ 53 ] in the consequence of Vieira suspending his presidency due to arrest, [ 54 ] [ 55 ] Costa was elected 34th president of the united states of Benfica on 9 October, assuming the agency the surveil day. With 84.48 % of the votes, he defeated candidate Francisco Benitez, who received 12.24 %. [ 56 ] [ 55 ]

career statistics [edit ]

club [edit ]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[57]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Fafe (loan) 1990–91 Segunda Divisão 38 6 0 0 38 6
Benfica 1991–92 Primeira Liga 21 4 3 0 7 0 1 0 32 4
1992–93 23 4 4 1 4 0 1 0 32 5
1993–94 34 5 3 1 8 4 2 0 47 10
Total 78 13 10 2 19 4 4 0 111 19
Fiorentina 1994–95 Serie A 31 9 4 0 35 9
1995–96 34 4 7 2 41 6
1996–97 28 2 1 0 8 0 1 0 38 2
1997–98 32 3 5 2 37 5
1998–99 31 10 7 4 1 0 39 14
1999–2000 30 4 4 0 14 2 48 6
2000–01 29 6 7 2 2 0 38 8
Total 215 38 35 10 25 2 1 0 276 50
AC Milan 2001–02 Serie A 22 0 1 0 10 3 33 3
2002–03 25 0 5 1 18 0 48 1
2003–04 28 3 4 0 6 0 3 0 41 3
2004–05 24 1 4 0 9 0 1 0 38 1
2005–06 25 0 3 3 4 0 32 3
Total 124 4 17 4 47 3 4 0 192 11
Benfica 2006–07 Primeira Liga 14 0 3 0 5 1 22 1
2007–08 29 5 4 3 12 2 0 0 45 10
Total 43 5 7 3 17 3 0 0 67 11
Career total 498 66 69 19 108 12 9 0 684 97

International [edit ]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[58]
National team Year Apps Goals
Portugal 1993 7 2
1994 5 1
1995 7 3
1996 11 2
1997 4 0
1998 5 3
1999 9 6
2000 13 3
2001 6 0
2002 7 2
2003 11 1
2004 9 3
Total 94 26
Scores and results list Portugal’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Costa goal.

Honours [edit ]

Benfica
Fiorentina
AC Milan [ 33 ]
Portugal U18
Portugal U20
Portugal U21
Portugal
Individual
Orders

References [edit ]

further read [edit ]

  • Os Magníficos: Rui Costa, o grande maestro do futebol português [The Magnificents: Rui Costa, the great maestro of Portuguese football] (First ed.). QuidNovi. 2008. ISBN 978-989-554-499-8.

Read more: FIFA 21 Pro Clubs

Preceded byLuís Filipe Vieira President of Benfica
2021–present
Succeeded by Incumbent