Diogo Costa: “We’re always ready to suffer for success” | OneFootball

Diogo Costa was named Player of the Year by Zerozero and gave a long interview in which he addressed several topics. Among them, the FC Porto goalkeeper was asked what had changed from last season to this one, which ended with the Primeira Liga title.

“It was very different from last season. To be very direct and very simple, I think the arrival of a new coach, mister Farioli, was what changed the dynamics of our playing style. A very young coach, with a lot of quality for his age, for the experience he has… that was the main point. He’s a coach whose values are very similar, or even the same, as FC Porto’s DNA.”

“The mister had that desire to win his first title. I believe that, because of what happened at Ajax, he also came a bit frustrated by what he had gone through. And I think that even he felt that, as we kept playing, that desire he had to win a title was very close, that it could be possible. I think the main point was the arrival of our coach, because he came with new ideas, very good training methods, very intense ones, and I think that was always our biggest weapon in this league, as well as the confidence the mister had in making all those squad rotations. I think the style he got us used to, his ideas, was always about giving confidence to all the players, so that everyone could be at their best and, in a way, provide a foundation for what the season was, for what our season was going to be. For me, honestly, that was the point where everything started, where everything changed for the better.”

“It’s a moment I will never… Everything that happened with him, I don’t think I will ever forget such a terrible day. But I think it also gave us a lot of strength, because we weren’t just playing for ourselves, we were playing for Jorge too. Because of the character Jorge had, he made everyone like him straight away, from the first day of pre-season. All the players, all the staff, the entire coaching team, we had something extra to do for a certain person, and that was an added factor of motivation, of being willing to suffer in matches so that, in the end, we could win the league.”

“We had a board with Jorge Costa’s name on it and we all signed that board as a commitment to do more than what is expected, for him. And we all signed that board, which was with us at every match, along with a shirt hanging up, so it was something we took to every game”, he added.

“Honestly, I don’t know how to be any other way, because I’ve spent my whole life here at FC Porto, in the city. I went to Casa Dragão at 15 and started living there. I don’t know any other DNA, any other culture; I’m very proud to be part of this region. We are people who are always willing to suffer for success.”

Diogo Costa recalled the defeat against Casa Pia:

“I was actually going to talk about that game. In that match we understood what was really missing. And maybe what was missing was going five more meters. In other words, I think it was a very good wake-up call for the team.”

“I think defeats are never good, but it was good to wake the lads up again, to give us a warning. To understand that it wasn’t going to be an easy league, even though we had made a good start. Strategically, the other teams were already starting to understand how we play and we had to try to be more unpredictable, starting from a base. But I’d go back to that match against Casa Pia — it was the game that maybe made us turn up the voltage”, he added.

Diogo Costa also spoke about being FC Porto captain:

“I think that, overall, all my teammates respect me. They know I’m someone who has been at the Club for quite some time, I’ve always felt affection from everyone, I’ve never felt any disrespect from anyone. I’ve always tried to be an example for them, because I remember being younger and also looking up to the homegrown examples, the players who were at FC Porto. And, deep down, I also want to keep being that example for them and, clearly, be a help to everyone. It was fundamental not only how they looked at me, but also with the arrival of some ‘old heads’. Everyone had a great deal of respect for one another and it’s very nice to look back on. I think they see a friend ready to help them and who always looks at the collective.”

“I’ve always felt respect from all the players, including (Jan) Bednarek, along with the arrival of Thiago Silva. And what I also tried to do was learn from them. They always helped me in that leadership role, just like all the other captains. But it was a very healthy connection, we are all looking to win. That’s more than half the battle for us to be successful”, he also said.

Diogo Costa also commented on his relationship with Cláudio Ramos:

“We’ve been together at FC Porto for some time now, we have a really nice connection, at the same time one of great respect, with very similar principles. At Aves that was exactly the feeling I had, that he didn’t deserve it. For the teammate he is, for his principles, for his character, for the affection he earned at the Club from the moment he arrived. He wasn’t a Porto supporter and he’ll be a Porto supporter until he dies. That was the feeling I had at that moment, right after the match — I had to hug him and show him all the respect he has always shown me, and I wanted to do the same for him.”

“I remember the first times I arrived to train with him, I came up from the academy, a bit overweight, and he used to say that wasn’t professional. Those life lessons that, looking back, I’m really very grateful for — I’ll always have great affection for him and I’ll carry that throughout my whole professional life.”

Diogo Costa was also asked about the challenge set by president André Villas-Boas regarding the number 2 shirt:

“Obviously I’m very honoured by that challenge from the president, but at the same time it’s a number with a lot of responsibility. It comes from a person (Jorge Costa) for whom I have great affection. But it’s something I’m still thinking about. Then I have the World Cup to play, and after that I’ll have time to make a decision. But it’s something that has to be thought through.”

Diogo Costa also spoke about the transfer market:

“I think that fear has already been there for about three years. What I’ve always tried to do is give my best wherever I am. And playing for this club, it’s a special love, it’s a different kind of love. I don’t think there’s much to think about, just being in the day-to-day, I think it’s something natural. Obviously, we are professionals, these are things that don’t depend only on me, but my focus right now is on FC Porto. And that’s what will continue to happen.”

Diogo Costa would choose Victor Froholdt as Player of the Year:

“I think I’d give it to (Victor) Froholdt. The energy he brought to our style of play is just huge, there’s no denying it. He’s a key piece, he gave us a lot of fuel and it would be completely deserved if it went to him.”

Diogo Costa would pick Francisco Trincão when asked for a name outside FC Porto’s squad:

“Maybe Trincão. He’s a player who has improved a lot, grown a lot, and I admire him. I also know him from the national team level… I think I’d give it to Trincão.”

Diogo Costa is already looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup:

“I think the expectation is quite obvious: we all want to win the World Cup. I think we should take it game by game, because I’ve already had experiences of thinking about the final and forgetting to do what matters in the present. Obviously we are a national team with a lot of quality. We have a generation that is truly very rich in quality, and not just technical quality. When I say quality, I mean a combination of factors, but obviously we expect to win the World Cup, especially because we really want to play it for Diogo Jota and his brother. Obviously that’s one more source of strength for this World Cup, but I think now, also as captain speaking about FC Porto, we should take it game by game and stay united. Expectations are very high. I think all of us national team players feel that responsibility to represent the country well, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

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