Rui Costa : A Look Back
The main plot of this weekend’s game between Benfica and Vitoria Setubal will be if Benfica can vault themselves into the 3rd and final Champions League spot on the final day of the season. The sub plot that I’m most interested in, is the fact that Sunday May 11th makes the last game in Rui Costa’s distinguish career.
The eyes of the Football world first noticed Costa when he lead Portugal to their second straight Fifa under 20 World Cup. Both by scoring in the semi finals against Australia in a 1-0 victory and again in the Finals when Rui Costa calmly slotted home the deciding penalty kick against Brazil.
Rui Costa at age 19 playing against Arsenal at Highbury.
From there it was off to the team he cheered for as a boy Benfica, where in a short amount of time he led the As Águias (The Eagles in Portuguese) to the Portuguese Cup and in his final year with the club 1993-1994 led Benfica to the league title.
By that time teams from across Europe were eying a key member of Portugal’s new golden generation and a move to a bigger stage was in the cards.
As is the case with many a player, Benfica decided to cash in on Costa accepting a 6 million euros offer by Fiorentina in 1994. With his new team trophies were scarce but respect was not. Costa combine with Gabriel Batistuta played an attacking style that was rare in the normally controlled defensive pace of Serie A. With Rui Costa as the play maker and Battistuta as the finisher Fiorentina were a dangerous team in the 90’s.
Costa and Batistuta at their best.
Each summer rumors would persist concerning Rui Costa moving to one of the world’s elite clubs and every fall for seven years Rui Costa would start the season for Fiorentina. Only after Fiorentina sunk into bankruptcy did Costa decide to leave as A.C Milan made him their most expensive transfer up until that point. Even when things were going downhill with Fiorentina, selling their best players like Gabriel Batistuta the year before. Costa stayed loyal to Fiorentina until the bitter end and only left for A.C Milan with a heavy heart.
The quote below is taken from an Interview done in 2003
“I wanted to stay at Fiorentina. When I heard that they were going to have to sell some players, I was sure that I would never be one of them. When I found out that even I was up for sale, I felt really down – I even cried. I felt I had been lied to. Perhaps they were just embarrassed about telling me.”
Starting in the 2001 season Rui Costa was now supplying Andriy Shevchenko the type of service Gabriel Batistuta enjoyed for six seasons. Not coincidentally Shevchenko had some of their finest seasons with Rui Costa leading the attack. A year after Costa’s arrival A.C Milan did the double winning the Coppa Italia and the Champions League. They followed up on that success by winning Serie A the follow season. (2003-2004)
Loyalty and respect are phrases often mentioned in Football but rarely follow up on. It’s rare to mention a football players name and have the reaction just about be universal praise no matter what club or country one roots for. Be it the undeniable affection Costa has always felt towards his boyhood club Benfica, signing with them in order to finish his career where it started. Fiorentina fans also have a special place in their heart for Costa has they respected him playing there through thick and thin. Many other players would of asked to be transferred long before. A.C Milan fans are thankful for helping place their team back on top of Serie A, leading them to European success and while at the height of his game bowing gracefully to Kaka as he took over the role Costa filled so well. Not many people would of handled that situation with class, passing on the torch to a player with such undeniable talent like Kaka. With the latter paying complaint to Costa when he returned to the San Siro as Benfica faced A.C Milan in the Champions League.
While the golden generation didn’t product any golden moments for Portugal it is safe to say that many fans of the Selecção das Quinas tip their cap to the man who controlled Portugal midfield for a decade. From the highs, with his last minute wonder goal vs Sweden or his thunder bolt in extra time against England which even caused a reaction out of the normally stone faced Sven-Goran Eriksson. To the low’s, his red card against Germany in an important 1998 World Cup qualifier and his penalty miss in that very same England game at Euro 2004.
Portugal vs England in Euro 2000
Rui Costa Goal in Euro 2004. No clue what the language is but Sven’s face is priceless at the end.
I’m going to wrap this up on a personal level. It’s weird seeing the players you grew up with getting old and leaving the game. Selfishly part of me thinks that the last of my youth goes away with each great player from that era who decide to call time on their career. That is why it annoys me when people blindly knock a player because they don’t like the fact he plays on a certain team. Players like Ronaldo, Messi, Kaka should be praised for what they bring to the current game. Those players are bringing the game to new heights thanks to resting on the shoulders of Zidane, Pavel Nedved, and Costa who paved the way before them.
All the best in your new role.