RUI COSTA BIOGRAPHY

Name : Rui Costa

Nickname : Maestro

BORN : March 29, 1972

Height : 180 cm

Weight : 70 kg

Nationality: Portugal

Rui Costa Childhood

In the year 1977,Rui Costa joined the baby indoor football crew of Damaia Ginasio Clube at the time of simple 5 years.Up until 1990, Costa played for Benfica's childhood squads for 13 long years. Since Benfica were battling with monetary issues, Costa needed to leave as Fiorentina was putting forth 1,200 million escudos for the youthful midfielder.

Debut

In summer 1991 Costa made his international Debut for Portugal in the World Youth Cup and his clinching penalty kick in the final against Brazil helped Portugal win the title on home soil and with his amazing performance, he won hearts of many and was announced as one of the brightest members of the “Golden Generation.”

Career

A result of Benfica youth framework, Rui turned proficient with the mammoth Portuguese side in 1990. After the 1990/91 season on credit at Fafe, he turned into a normal in Benfica's beginning lineup. Costa asserted the 1993 Portuguese Cup and the 1993/94 Primeira Liga amid a three-year spell at the club. In 1994, he moved to Italy to join Fiorentina in Serie A. Costa turned into an instrumental player there as his group recorded the Italian Super Cup and two Italian Cups amid his spell. By and large, the Portugues midfielder showed up in all rivalries for Viola for a long time.

In 2001, Costa was gobbled up by AC Milan where he gathered another Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana. The 2003/04 season was a brilliant one for Costa as he recorded his first Serie A title just as the UEFA Champions League trophy and UEFA Super Cup.In 2006, Rui Costa came back to Portugal where he spent the last two periods of his vocation with Benfica. He was named Benfica Player of the Year in 2007. In the middle of 1993 and 2004, Rui Costa scored 26 objectives in 94 worldwide appearances for the Portugal national group. He was a pivotal player amid the UEFA Euro 2004 as his nation achieved the last however let Greece to win the competition.

Retirement

Preceding beginning of the 2007-08 Primeira Liga, Costa declared that the 2007-08 season will be his last as a professional.On eleventh May 2008, Costa played his last match against Vitória de Setúbal at the Estadio da Luz where he was substituted in the 86th moment to an overwhelming applause from the onlookers.

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Fafe (loan)	1990–91	Segunda Divisão	38	6	0	0	—		—		38	6
Benfica	1991–92	Primeira Liga	21	4	3	0	7	0	1	0	32	4
	1992–93		23	4	4	1	4	0	1	0	32	5
	1993–94		34	5	3	1	8	4	2	0	47	10
	Total		78	13	10	2	19	4	4	0	111	19
Fiorentina	1994–95	Serie A	31	9	4	0	—		—		35	9
	1995–96		34	4	7	2	—		—		41	6
	1996–97		28	2	1	0	8	0	1	0	38	2
	1997–98		32	3	5	2	—		—		37	5
	1998–99		31	10	7	4	1	0	—		39	14
	1999–2000		30	4	4	0	14	2	—		48	6
	2000–01		29	6	7	2	2	0	—		38	8
	Total		215	38	35	10	25	2	1	0	276	50
AC Milan	2001–02	Serie A	22	0	1	0	10	3	—		33	3
	2002–03		25	0	5	1	18	0	—		48	1
	2003–04		28	3	4	0	6	0	3	0	41	3
	2004–05		24	1	4	0	9	0	1	0	38	1
	2005–06		25	0	3	3	4	0	—		32	3
	Total		124	4	17	4	47	3	4	0	192	11
Benfica	2006–07	Primeira Liga	14	0	3	0	5	1	—		22	1
	2007–08	Primeira Liga	29	5	4	3	12	2	0	0	45	10
	Total		43	5	7	3	17	3	0	0	67	11
Career total			498	66	69	19	108	12	9	0	684	97