‘A part of my history that goes’: Jose Mourinho fights back tears in touching tribute after ex-Porto captain Jorge Costa dies at 53

A teary-eyed Jose Mourinho paid a touching tribute to his Portuguese compatriot Jorge Costa, stating that “it’s a part of my history that goes”, with the 53-year-old FC Porto legend’s passing on Tuesday.

Costa was the cornerstone of Mourinho’s inspirational charge to the Champions League triumph in 2004 with Porto. Costa hung up his boots in 2006 and returned as Porto’s director of football in 2024 before his tragic passing due to a reported heart attack. “Costa began to feel unwell throughout Tuesday morning and, after losing consciousness, was treated there by the club’s doctors, who used a defibrillator until the national services Medical Emergencies (INEM) arrived to take him by ambulance to the hospital,” reported Spanish media outlet Diario AS.

However, Mourinho was pushed to tears when he addressed the media on the eve of his Turkish side Fenerbache’s Champions League match against Feyenoord. Over his career, Costa played 530 games in all competitions, including 383 for Porto and 50 for Portugal’s national team. He earned the nickname “Bicho” (animal) from teammate Fernando Couto during their partnership in central defence. Under Mourinho at Porto, Costa wore the captain’s armband during the UEFA Cup win in 2003 over Celtic and in the Champions League final victory over Monaco the following year.

Jose Mourinho is moved to tears at a Fenerbahce press conference, paying tribute to the captain of his Champions League winning Porto team Jorge Costa. Costa sadly passed away at the age of 53 due to a heart attack. pic.twitter.com/FZmQ0wji3m — Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) August 5, 2025

‘Mister, don’t cry…’

Mourinho hailed Costa’s immense leadership skill during their time together at Porto.

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“It’s part of my history that goes,” the 62-year-old Mourinho said.

“You have captains and you have leaders. It’s not always about the armband but what you represent,” Mourinho continued. “And Jorge was one of these guys who cleaned the garbage and let the coach do his job as a coach.

“That’s perfection for a coach when his captain does this work. Of course, I’m very sad it’s part of my history that goes. But let’s forget football, let’s focus on him, on Jorge, on his kids, who I met when they were really kids, but now are grown men.

“And I’m here now because if he could speak with me now he would tell me, come on, do your press conference. And he would say tomorrow play the game Mister, win the game and forget about me. That would be Jorge.

‘”So that’s what I’m going to try and do, do my job today, do my job tomorrow and then cry after. But today and tomorrow I have a job to do and I know Jorge would tell me to do my job,” Mourinho added.

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Costa also had brief stints at Charlton Athletic in England and Belgium’s Standard Liège, while also representing Portuguese clubs Penafiel and Marítimo on loan early in his career. Costa also spent two seasons in India as head coach of Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Mumbai City FC. During his stint between 2018 and 2020, the team finished third and fifth in the competition, winning 17 out of the 39 games in which he was in charge. Costa had come to Mumbai after coaching clubs like SC Braga, Paços Ferreira, CFR Cluj, AEL Limassol and Anorthosis Famagusta, among others.

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