Courtesy: The FA.com


Swapping shirts

By Russell Staves

Friday, 16 February 2007


Portugal's loss is England's gain - that's certainly the case with Hugo Costa who says pulling on the Three Lions would be an 'honour'.

The 30 year old is a former Portugal Under-18 Futsal international, but after spending eight years in England, is on the verge of winning his first cap for his adopted country.

Costa was training at Lilleshall with the England Partially Sighted team last weekend - the second time he has been summoned to meet up with the squad - and is targeting October's European Championships in Turkey as the date for his international bow.

"I'm proud to wear the English badge," said Costa. "Being Portuguese, it does not feel odd to be representing England. I have been here eight years. Everyone would like to play for England, other than a Brazilian maybe!"

Costa and his England teammates took on Preston in a friendly on Sunday to conclude their training and despite losing 4-2, gave their fully sighted opponents a run for their money.

The star of the show from an England point of view was Costa, who has been playing Futsal for as long as he can remember. However, he is frustrated by his own diminishing skills.

"I'm not even 20 per cent of what I used to be," he said. "At the nationals people were saying I played well, but I know what I was like when I was 20 or 21. I used to play professionally for some top teams back in Portugal, like Sporting Lisbon. But I went travelling. I don't regret it.

"Maybe now I would be making my life from it if I was still playing. There is good money in it if you are a professional. It depends on the club. All the players at Sporting Lisbon are professional, Benfica too. I have friends at clubs who make their life from it. We used to play in front of big crowds - up to 3,000."

Costa's dazzling skills belie the fact that he can only see out of his right eye - a disability which makes him eligible for the England Partially Sighted team.

"I was born with a cataract," he explained. "For me it was normal, I did not know any different. One day I joked with my parents - I picked up some glasses and said 'let me see if I can see with my eye'. They were like 'what are you saying?'

"From my left eye it's blank. I can see movement and shapes at night, but on a sunny day if I go outside, it's completely white. I can't keep my eye open. It hurts. I just wear sunglasses."

Costa has sought the advice of various specialists but the diagnosis is bleak.

"I have seen a lot of doctors but they think surgery is too late," he said. "They can remove the cataract but they can't stimulate the nerves which send messages to the brain. I even tried a doctors when I was travelling in South America! I've lived with it for 30 years, so it almost feels normal."

Watching Costa in action makes it hard to believe he has sight problems. With stepovers which look like a sleek Las Vegas croupier dealing out cards, Costa is a tricky opponent, although he admits it's the defensive element of his game which he struggles with.

"Sometimes I can't see people on my left," he explained. "But I have a good relationship with the game and the positions, so I can normally tell where people are. They could blindfold me and I'd know where they are! But sometimes people shout but I can't see them. I need the goalkeeper to help me. I get a lot of complaints that I don't pass the ball. I can't always see them though."

It's clear that Costa is comfortable with the game, having grown up with it on the streets in Portugal, and he thinks young players in this country would benefit from a grounding in Futsal.

"I've been playing Futsal all my life," he said. "I had never played outdoors until I came here. Futsal is very popular in Portugal. We have more Futsal games than anything else - schools, neighbourhoods. We don't have much grass.

"The big names of Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo and Figo - came from Futsal before going to 11 a side," he added. "That's why they are so skillful. It's the same with the Brazilians, like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos.

"If kids play five a side in schools more regularly they can become more skillful before they play 11 a side."



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com