Sudden illness: Jorge Costa dead, Porto in shock

A tragic piece of news has shaken Porto and all of Lusitanian soccer: Jorge Costa has died at the age of just 53, cut short by an illness while at the Dragões’ training center in Olival on Tuesday. A former Portuguese national team player, European champion with Porto in the 2003-2004 season, Jorge Costa held the position of sporting director of the white-blue formation.

According to ‘Record‘ reports, Jorge Costa was promptly rescued and transported to São João Hospital, but was already in serious condition. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, there was nothing to be done for the’former soccer player. The news of the death was confirmed around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5.

Jorge Costa was an iconic figure in the history of the Portuguese national team and Porto, and as captain of the latter he lifted the Champions League won with Jose Mourinho on the bench. Also on his palmarès are eight championships, five Portuguese Cups and six Super Cups, always wearing the Porto jersey.

With the national team he won the Under-20 World Cup in 1991, collecting 50 appearances. Jorge Costa also played for teams such as Penafiel, Maritimo and Charlton, always on loan from Porto, and for Standard Liege, where he ended his career in 2006. From 2008 to 2024, he was a coach (among the entities he coached were CFR Cluj and the Gabon national team), before serving as Porto’s sporting director.