Thiago raves about former Bayern star: “We thought he’d win the Ballon d’Or” | OneFootball

Douglas Costa once sparked excitement at FC Bayern. Now, former teammate Thiago Alcantara has reflected on the Brazilian’s spectacular start—and offered some remarkable praise.

In his early days at FC Bayern, Douglas Costa was one of the most spectacular wingers in Europe. Ten years after his move to Munich, Thiago Alcantara has now reflected on the Brazilian’s first few months there—and revealed the impression Costa made within the club at the time.

On a podcast hosted by former English national team player Rio Ferdinand, Thiago discussed various topics and was also asked about his former Bayern teammate. The Spaniard couldn’t help but gush.

“Do you remember Douglas Costa?” Thiago asked his host, Rio Ferdinand, at the start of the conversation. Ferdinand replied immediately: “Oh, yeah. Brazilian! Great player!”

Thiago could only agree and recalled Costa’s sensational start with the record champions: “In the first six months—I swear to you—the whole team thought he was going to win the Ballon d’Or.” The former playmaker added: “During that half-year, he was simply incredible.”

Douglas Costa left Bayern for Juventus

Costa had joined FC Bayern from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2015 for around 30 million euros and made an immediate impact under Pep Guardiola. In his first seven Bundesliga matches, the Brazilian racked up 11 points—one goal and ten assists—and quickly became one of the team’s top performers.

Photo: IMAGO

However, the winger was unable to sustain that exceptional level of play in the years that followed. In 2017, Costa transferred to Juventus Turin for around 40 million euros. He later returned to Säbener Straße on loan, but fell short of expectations, partly due to a prolonged foot injury.

Nevertheless, Costa won three German championships, the DFB Cup, and the Club World Cup, among other titles, with FC Bayern. For Thiago, one thing stands out above all else: the first few months of his former teammate’s tenure, during which the team apparently even dreamed of the Ballon d’Or.