FC Porto announced on Tuesday that club legend and current Director of Professional Football Jorge Costa died aged 53 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the team’s training centre in Olival. Medical staff treated the former defender on site before he was transported to Hospital São João in Porto, where he was pronounced dead, the Portuguese side said in a statement. Costa, nicknamed “Bicho”, made 530 appearances in all competitions for Porto and earned 50 caps with Portugal. As captain, he led the Dragons to the 2003 UEFA Cup and the 2004 Champions League titles under manager José Mourinho, and collected eight Primeira Liga championships during a 15-year senior career with the club. After retiring in 2006, Costa coached in Portugal, Romania, Cyprus, Tunisia and India before returning to Porto in April 2024 to oversee the professional set-up under new president André Villas-Boas. The club hailed his “dedication, leadership and unshakeable spirit”, while Mourinho and Real Madrid were among those offering condolences.