João Costa: Being FC Porto means playing to win and giving your all | OneFootball

João Costa is the guest on the latest edition of “Canto do FC Porto,” a podcast from the zerozero platform aimed at the blue and white fans. In nearly an hour of dialogue among three Porto supporters, the first-team goalkeeper talked about the reasons for his return, Francesco Farioli's method, and future goals.

“This year we have truly become FC Porto again, and it's a huge pride to be part of the Club once more,” began the spokesperson of “a very united group,” in which, he assured, “everyone learns from everyone.” After admitting to having received “offers to earn much more money in Saudi Arabia,” João Costa guaranteed: “I returned out of passion and to write a story I hadn't written yet.”

“I felt I had to come here,” added the 29-year-old goalkeeper, emphasizing the importance of “giving your best every day,” because “you never know where the finish line is.” Regarding the two games (and two victories) with the B team, he revealed the role he plays in the “B” locker room: “Sometimes the kids need someone to give them the right message and make them believe in something bigger.”

Training daily at CTFD Jorge Costa “is a huge privilege” for this native of Barcelos. “I will hardly forget this unique group of goalkeepers. I celebrate their saves as if they were mine,” he confided, highlighting that “the friendship, competitiveness, energy, performance, and work culture” of FC Porto's goalkeepers “serve as inspiration for the rest of the squad.”

When asked about the death of Jorge Costa, João Costa recalled that “only those who lived through that tragedy know how difficult the weeks and days that followed were” and explained that since the premature loss of the Captain, within the group “everyone feels an extra strength”: “It's a little star cheering for us and pulling us up. I am a very believing person and I think that the victories in the last minutes have been achieved with a push from the Bicho.”

After four months working with Francesco Farioli, the player wearing jersey number 24 praised that “the coach is a very motivating, unifying person and makes everyone feel important” and that “he gives the impression he was a goalkeeper because of the importance he gives to the position”: “He pays a lot of attention to detail and you need to have a great knowledge of the position to think about so many details.”

“The coach doesn't let anything slip by, with him every moment of training and the game counts, and set pieces are an example of that,” added a declared admirer of the squad's “enormous quality”: “Whoever plays will deliver a good performance and will contribute to the team.”

Satisfied with the “great response in a very difficult time with so many trips,” and about to play four consecutive home matches, João Costa intends to “take advantage of the home games” to “make the Dragão a true fortress”: “Being FC Porto is playing to win every game and always leaving everything on the field, and we have to be FC Porto.”

“In this Club, unity is super important. We have to unite and fight together every day, give our maximum and understand that everyone counts,” reinforced the goalkeeper, confident that “the fans have already pushed the team to several victories” and that “this will be needed more times throughout the season.”

The podcast “Canto do FC Porto” is now available on zerozero's YouTube channel.

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