Jose Mourinho has appeared emotional during a press conference discussing his former captain, Jorge Costa, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 53.
The former centre-back captained Mourinho’s Porto side during their historic Champions League triumph in 2004.
The 53-year-old died after suffering a cardiac arrest at Porto’s training ground, where he was serving as their director of professional football and in his second season in the role.
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Costa spent one year at Charlton Athletic on loan and made 50 appearances for Portugal.
Jorge Costa stayed at Porto for 25 years of his playing career
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But it was Porto where he spent 25 years of his playing career, with the club releasing an official statement on their website: “Throughout his life, both on and off the pitch, Jorge Costa embodied the values that define FC Porto: dedication, leadership, passion and an unshakeable spirit of conquest.
“He left his mark on generations of fans and became a symbol of Portismo.”
In a pre-match press conference for his current club, Fenerbahce, Mourinho, visibly emotional, opened up on his former captain.
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Jose Mourinho struggled to hold back tears when discussing his former captain
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"It's part of my history that goes,” the 62-year-old said. “You have captains and you have leaders. It's not always about the armband but what you represent.
"And Jorge was one of these guys who cleaned the garbage and let the coach do his job.
"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.
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"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, win the game and forget about me.'
"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."
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The former Chelsea boss described Jorge Costa as a 'leader'
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The three-time Premier League winner cited a moment when his Porto side were 2-0 down at half-time and Costa took matters into his own hands.
“I was walking to the locker room, and everyone saw I was furious.
“When I was about to enter, Jorge Costa told me, ‘Wait outside for two minutes, please.’ He went in, closed the door, and did the dirty work for me. Then he opened the door and said, ‘Coach us.’ Because in the locker room, he did everything I would have done.
“We won 3-2. He was a centre-back, had never scored goals in his life; that day, he scored two. Captain and leader are very different things. You can’t buy leaders. You can’t manufacture leaders. And when you have them, your team is one step ahead."
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to the former centre back on Instagram, writing "Ate sempre Jorge Costa", meaning "until forever".
Costa’s funeral will take place in Porto on Thursday morning.
Porto announced yesterday that the doors to their stadium, Estadio do Dragao, will be open from Wednesday to fans wishing to pay their respects to their legendary former captain.