Diogo Costa in Casillas case: FC Porto skipper said training “moderate” | OneFootball

Diogo Costa was heard in the second session of the case in which Iker Casillas wants the heart attack he suffered on May 1, 2019, to be recognized as a workplace accident. The FC Porto captain explained that the training session held before the episode was mainly tactical and not physically demanding. He also recalled the surprise caused by the moment the former Spanish goalkeeper asked for help. About what happened, he said: “It was something very unexpected.”

At issue is the possible responsibility for Casillas’s health problem, with the former goalkeeper arguing that liability should be shared between FC Porto and the insurer Fidelidade. Recalling the events of that morning, Diogo Costa insisted that, from his point of view, the work done was moderate and not very demanding for the goalkeepers.

The Portugal international described a session focused on the tactical side. According to Diogo Costa’s account, Casillas had little involvement in the drill before the situation suddenly changed.

“It was a much more tactical training session, a possession drill in which the goalkeeper had little involvement. I remember seeing Iker sitting down waiting for his turn and, suddenly, ‘ow, ow’,” he said. “It was something very unexpected.”

The FC Porto goalkeeper placed the session at the end of the season, a period when, he explained, the team’s preparation was focused on bringing onto the pitch the concepts worked on through analysis.

“In May, when the season is already coming to an end, the focus is on tactics. We analyze a lot of video and then take that onto the pitch,” he stressed. “(…) The level of physical demand is almost zero.”

For Diogo Costa, the intensity of the session was far from that of a highly demanding workout. That is why he rated it a three on a scale from zero to 10.

In his description of the events, the goalkeeper explained that the activity began gradually. Training started at 10 a.m., with individual mobility exercises and stretching, followed by around 15 minutes of activation, with light running and specific work for the goalkeepers.

“It was very short, about 15 minutes. I don’t think he did any sprints.”

After that phase, the tactical drill began, during which the goalkeepers rotated in and out of the action. Diogo Costa tried to specify how long Casillas took part, although he admitted he could not determine the exact duration for that day.

“He was the one who started, then we switched. From my experience, it must have lasted five, six minutes, but I can’t say exactly how long it was that day. At the very most, 10 minutes, all in one go, then you switch and there’s another repetition.”

The testimony points to a training session divided into several stages, with periods of goalkeeper involvement interspersed with breaks. This version differs from the testimony presented in the case by cardiologist Luís Seca, who said that Casillas told him the heart attack came at a moment of maximum intensity, acting as a “trigger.”

Diogo Costa said that only after leaving the drill did he hear Casillas ask for help. The memory of that moment is still tied to the surprise and the speed with which assistance was given.

“It was when I was already out that Iker asked for help. (…) It was the first heart attack I had witnessed, it was a shock, they came to help him straight away.”

The event had a strong impact on the then young goalkeeper, who described it as something unprecedented in his life. Later at the hospital, several FC Porto players went to visit Casillas, who, according to his recollection, did not mention any previous symptoms.

Describing his former teammate, Diogo Costa highlighted the disciplined habits of the goalkeeper he tried to use as a professional role model.

“He was an exemplary player, careful with his diet, he had a thyroid problem and was careful with his diet, he was an exemplary professional whom I always tried to follow.”

The testimony was not limited to recalling the emergency: it also portrayed Casillas as a rigorous and careful professional. The contrast between the normality of a training session that Diogo Costa considered moderate and the sudden seriousness of the episode ended up defining the entire testimony.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.