Tears of the Special One for his special captain

An emotional Jose Mourinho paid homage to his former captain Jorge Costa, who passed away at the age of 53, calling it "'a part of my history that goes.'"

Mourinho addressed the heartbreaking news during a press conference ahead of Fenerbahce’s Champions League qualifier on Wednesday, just hours after learning of Costa’s death.

Costa was more than just a player under Mourinho — he was the backbone of that iconic Porto squad that captured the Champions League title in 2004. A commanding defender with 50 appearances for Portugal, Costa amassed 24 trophies at Porto, including the UEFA Cup and an impressive eight Primeira Liga titles.

Mourinho’s top warrior dies on the training ground

Following his playing career, Costa moved into management, leading 16 different clubs before returning to Porto last year as their sporting director.

Tragedy struck on Tuesday, as he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at Porto’s training ground.

"'It's part of my history that goes,'" Mourinho said, visibly moved. Reflecting further on Costa’s presence in the locker room, he shared: "You have captains and you have leaders. It's not always about the armband but what you represent,'" he continued. "'And Jorge was one of these guys who cleaned the garbage and let the coach do his job as a coach. 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, but now are grown men."

Mourinho had previously praised Costa’s leadership in a 2022 interview, recounting a match where Porto trailed 2-0 at halftime. Costa took charge in the dressing room, venting the team’s frustration, then turned to Mourinho and said, "'coach us.'" He went on to score twice in that match, leading the team to a 3-2 comeback win — a rare brace that epitomized his spirit and influence.