Marchesín has no doubts: “Diogo Costa is a top-class goalkeeper” | OneFootball

Diogo Costa is, at the moment, the standout figure of FC Porto. Captain, with a contract renewed until 2030 and a key presence in the National Team as well, the goalkeeper who wears the number 99 jersey seized an opportunity that transformed his career. The turning point came in the summer of 2021, when Agustín Marchesín, then the Dragons’ starting keeper, returned late from the Copa América and missed part of the preseason led by Sérgio Conceição. It was in this scenario that the coach decided to bet on the young rising goalkeeper—a choice that became irreversible. Marchesín, currently at Boca Juniors, praised his former teammate in statements to Record. “He is an extraordinary goalkeeper, an excellent person, and is living a more than deserved present,” he emphasized, recalling their time together at Dragão and highlighting the Portuguese player’s human and professional character.

Although he admits he did not deserve to lose his starting spot, the Argentine accepts the fairness of the decision. “He deserved to play. He has enormous humility, is very hard-working, studious, and competitive. I am very happy for what he is experiencing now. When he was my backup, he always supported me,” he said, in a statement that helps explain Diogo Costa’s solid progression to the world elite level.

About Sérgio Conceição, Marchesín assures that he holds no resentment. “He is a coach with a lot of personality, very demanding. You learn a lot from him. I wish I had had him when I was younger to get even more out of myself. I am very grateful,” he confessed, recalling a difficult period in 2021/22, when he had offers to leave but ended up staying at Dragão. “It was tough, I suffered a lot, but I understand that coaches have difficult decisions and we have to respect them.”

The Argentine’s forward-looking comment extends to the current moment of the Dragons, now led by Farioli: “The team is doing well, with many young players. There have been many changes in the squad and the new coach is doing a good job and is on an important winning streak. Hopefully it continues like this.”

Finally, he praised Alan Varela, a compatriot trained at Boca Juniors. “He is one of the captains, he is very important. He is fierce, competitive, never gives up on a ball. He has a huge future and an extraordinary present at FC Porto.”

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