Porto mourns: Jorge Costa dies at 53 after suffering a stroke.

Portuguese football is mourning the passing of Jorge Costa , Porto's sporting director, who died suddenly at the age of 53 due to illness. A historic figure at the club, both as a player and as a manager, Costa leaves a profound void in the sporting world.

Jorge Costa: A legendary career in Porto colours

Jorge Costa, affectionately known in his homeland as O Bicho , has had an inextricable bond with Porto throughout his career, wearing the “Dragoes” jersey for over a decade and making 383 appearances, scoring 25 goals. With the club, he won eight league titles, a Champions League in 2004 under José Mourinho, a UEFA Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup.

He represented Portugal in 50 national team games, scoring two goals. After his playing career – which ended at Standard Liège – he dedicated himself to a coaching career , before returning to Porto as a sporting director .

The club wanted to say goodbye to him with a touching message through its official channels:

“ Jorge Costa has left us. One of us, a leader, a captain, a role model . A symbol of Porto. Thank you for being with Porto until the end. Goodbye, Jorge Costa.”

Portuguese football has suffered a grave loss . Jorge Costa, Porto's sporting director and former key member of the Portuguese national team, died today, Thursday, August 5, at the age of 53 following cardiac arrest. According to A Bola , Costa reportedly fell ill around 12:30 p.m., shortly after finishing an interview with a local television station, while he was at the Olival training center.

His condition immediately appeared critical: he was immediately treated by the club's medical staff, who attempted to resuscitate him with the aid of a defibrillator . The manager was then urgently transferred to São João Hospital in Porto, where he died in the early afternoon.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, every attempt to save him proved futile: he apparently died of cardiac arrest. Costa had previously suffered a heart attack in 2022 , which he recovered without apparent complications. The news quickly spread across the country, throwing the Portuguese sporting world into despair.