Hugo Costa

Hugo Alexandre Esteves Costa (born 4 November 1973) is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a central defender.

Hugo Costa

Personal information
Full name	Hugo Alexandre Esteves Costa
Date of birth	(1973-11-04) 4 November 1973
Place of birth	Tramagal, Portugal
Height	1.84 m (6 ft ^1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s)	Centre back
Youth career
1984–1992	Benfica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1993	Gil Vicente	24	(2)
1993–1995	Beira-Mar	50	(1)
1995–1996	Estrela Amadora	10	(0)
1996	Stoke City	2	(0)
1996–2001	Alverca	103	(2)
2001–2003	Vitória Setúbal	56	(2)
2003–2005	Rot-Weiß Oberhausen	34	(0)
2005–2008	União Leiria	16	(1)
2008–2009	Atromitos Yeroskipou	6	(1)
2009–2011	Pinhalnovense	38	(0)
Total		339	(9)
National team
1995–1996	Portugal U21	8	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

A graduate of S.L. Benfica's youth system, Costa never appeared however for its first team, going on to spend the following four seasons in the Primeira Liga with Gil Vicente FC, S.C. Beira-Mar (two years) and C.F. Estrela da Amadora, being relegated with the second club in the 1994–95 campaign.

In the 1996 summer, he signed with Stoke City in the English second level,[1] but left the Potters after only a couple of weeks and games,[2] returning to his country with F.C. Alverca and remaining with the Lisbon outskirts side for the following five seasons, three spent in the top flight.

From 2001 to 2003, also as first-choice and in the top division, Costa played with Vitória de Setúbal. Subsequently, he signed for Germany's Rot-Weiß Oberhausen (division two), remaining in the country for two years and suffering relegation in his second.

In 2005–06, Costa returned to Portugal and joined U.D. Leiria, playing in only 16 matches in the top tier in three seasons combined – 12 of those came in his last, with the side ranking 16th and last. Afterwards, the 34-year-old moved to Cyprus with Atromitos Yeroskipou.

After just one season, Costa once again returned to his country, joining lowly C.D. Pinhalnovense. He left in the 2011 summer aged nearly 38, and retired shortly after.

Career statistics

• Sourced from Hugo Costa at ForaDeJogo

Club	Season	League			Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Gil Vicente	1992–93	Primeira Liga	24	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	24	2
Beira-Mar	1993–94	Primeira Liga	24	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	24	0
	1994–95	Primeira Liga	26	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	1
	Total		50	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	50	1
Estrela Amadora	1995–96	Primeira Liga	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
Stoke City	1996–97	First Division	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	4	0
Alverca	1996–97	Segunda Liga	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
	1997–98	Segunda Liga	30	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	32	0
	1998–99	Primeira Liga	29	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	29	0
	1999–2000	Primeira Liga	25	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	25	1
	2000–01	Primeira Liga	13	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	1
	Total		103	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	105	2
Vitória Setúbal	2001–02	Primeira Liga	31	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	31	1
	2002–03	Primeira Liga	25	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	26	1
	Total		56	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	57	2
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen	2003–04	2. Bundesliga	24	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	25	0
	2004–05	2. Bundesliga	10	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
	Total		34	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	36	0
União Leiria	2005–06	Primeira Liga	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
	2006–07	Primeira Liga	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
	2007–08	Primeira Liga	12	0	1	0	2	0	6	0	21	0
	Total		16	1	1	0	2	0	6	0	25	6
Atromitos Yeroskipou	2008–09	Cypriot First Division	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1
Pinhalnovense	2009–10	Portuguese Second Division	27	0	5	1	0	0	0	0	32	1
	2010–11	Portuguese Second Division	11	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
	Total		38	0	7	1	0	0	0	0	45	1
Career total			339	9	13	1	4	0	6	0	362	10

References

1. Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era – A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 978-1-874287-39-1.
2. "Stoke City". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 15 September 2011.

External links

• Hugo Costa at ForaDeJogo
• Hugo Costa at Soccerbase
• Hugo Costa at fussballdaten.de (in German)
• National team data (in Portuguese)
• Hugo Costa – FIFA competition record
• Hugo Costa at Soccerway