Porto legend Jorge Costa has died at the age of 53. He was a director at the club, and the cause of his death was a heart attack at Porto's training ground. He later died in hospital.

"Porto expresses its deepest sadness at the passing of an unforgettable figure in the club's history. The legacy of Jorge Costa will always live on in the memory of all Porto fans. You will never be forgotten, Captain", the club said in a statement.

Costa felt unwell on Tuesday morning and was taken to the São João Hospital in Porto, where he "suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest in the emergency room and died," a hospital source told radio station Renascença.

In 2022, Costa suffered a heart attack and underwent catheterization to widen an artery.

The former Porto captain spent 15 years at the club, making 383 appearances for the team, scoring 25 goals. Known as "The Tank", his greatest achievement remains leading Porto to a Champions League triumph in 2004, when the team defeated Monaco 3:0 with José Mourinho at the helm.

In addition to the Champions League, Costa has won eight league titles, the UEFA Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, five Portuguese Cups and eight Portuguese Super Cups. He has also won 50 caps for the Portuguese national team. He participated in one World Cup and one European Championship. He also spent a season on loan in the Premier League with Charlton Athletic, ending his playing career with Belgian side Standard Liège.

After ending his playing career in 2006, Costa began coaching. He has worked in Portugal, as well as in many other countries such as Romania, Cyprus, France, India and Tunisia, where he led Cluj, AEL Limassol, Anorthosis, Tours and CS Sfaxien respectively. | BGNES