1. Costinha won eight trophies with Porto, including the 2004 Champions League.
16 Facts About Costinha
1. 2.
Costinha played more than 50 times with Portugal, appearing with the national team in one World Cup and two European Championships and being part of the squad that reached the final in Euro 2004.
3.
Costinha was born in Lisbon to an Angolan father, who had immigrated to the Portuguese capital in the 1960s.
4.
Costinha went on to be an instrumental midfield element in the northerners' two consecutive national championships.
5.
Costinha was selected for the final stages, where he scored an injury time header against Romania.
6.
Costinha played at Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
7.
Costinha finished his international career with 53 caps and two goals, having been rarely called during the Euro 2008 qualifying stage.
8.
On 23 February 2010, the 35-year-old Costinha left Atalanta by mutual consent.
9.
Costinha immediately retired, being named shortly afterwards as Sporting's director of football, succeeding the sacked Ricardo Sa Pinto, his former international teammate.
10.
In June 2011, in the same capacity, Costinha joined Servette FC, with the Swiss team being managed by countryman Joao Alves.
11.
The team's results worsened under Pereira and in April 2012, both Pereira and Costinha were fired, with Alves being reinstated as manager; Costinha reportedly contested the terms of his removal, claiming that his contract extended until June 2013.
12.
On 12 June 2013, Costinha was appointed at fellow top-tier FC Pacos de Ferreira, who had made the qualifying rounds of the Champions League for the first time in their history; his midfield partner for Portugal and three teams, Maniche, was hired as assistant.
13.
Costinha was sacked after only four months due to poor results.
14.
Costinha took over at Academica de Coimbra, recently relegated from the top division, on 20 June 2016.
15.
On 30 May 2017, Costinha was appointed as manager of Nacional.
16.
Costinha left a year later by mutual consent, due to the Madeira team's relegation as second-bottom.