Diogo Costa's ex-coach has no doubts: “One of the world's best keepers” | OneFootball

Diogo Costa received strong praise from Israel Dionísio, the coach who trained the FC Porto goalkeeper in the youth ranks.

After winning the Primeira Liga title with FC Porto, Diogo Costa was named Goalkeeper of the Year in the competition. Speaking to MD Now, Israel Dionísio, the goalkeeper’s former coach in the youth setup, described the Portugal international as one of the best in the world in his position, stressing that his talent was evident from a very early age:

“Clearly, we are talking about one of the best goalkeepers in the world today. Who wouldn’t want a player like him on their team? From a very young age, it was clear that he was someone very talented in his position. Everyone working in FC Porto’s academy realized that, and I was no exception. Diogo had a lot of potential, he was very focused, serious in his performances, and had enormous maturity, which allowed him to skip stages within the club. To this day, he still has all of that, as well as tremendous humility”.

The coach also highlighted that the request made by André Villas-Boas to Diogo Costa to wear the No. 2 shirt, in tribute to Jorge Costa, is fully justified:

“He is a player who symbolizes the FC Porto brand, and the club president recognized that when he made him this invitation. It is only natural considering that Diogo has grown not only in his technical qualities but also within the club, where he has earned a role of excellence and leadership, serving as a reference point for everyone else, very much in the image of what FC Porto is”.

Finally, he left a message for the FC Porto goalkeeper, for whom he admitted having “a special affection”:

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