EXCLUSIVE: Brighton defender Costinha on starting a new chapter in England

The Portuguese player revealed the details and explained how meticulously the Seagulls prepared the deal over several months, even speaking to former teammates and opponents.

He also discussed what life has been like since arriving at Brighton, as well as which teammates have impressed him so far after a strong start to the campaign.

Realising a childhood dream

How has your Premier League experience been so far? Tell us a little about this adventure at Brighton. 

"The experience has been incredible because it is a stage that most players want and dream of reaching. It has been rewarding to witness these moments every day," Costinha said.

"There are great games every week and, above all, it has been an incredible experience: the daily routine, the way they look at football and every detail, and how they do everything possible to help us improve.

"Brighton, in particular, focuses on players’ potential, and we have a lot of young players in the squad. It has been very different from Rio Ave or Olympiacos, but it has been an interesting experience. Playing in the Premier League is incredible."

You are still adapting, but you have featured in almost every game. Have you got used to the frenetic pace of English football?

"After the first game against Aston Villa, I came on in the 66th minute, we won, and it was an incredible feeling. Then I got home that day – or perhaps the following day – and started thinking: 'Wow, I’ve just made my Premier League debut.’

"It was a dream I had had since childhood, one that seemed a long way off, almost impossible to reach. Even today, there are days when I lie in bed before going to sleep and think: ‘Is this really happening? Am I really in the Premier League?’

"Or sometimes, at the end of training as we head to the gym: ‘Wow, it’s really rewarding to be here and experience this moment.’ As for my debut, it was a normal day, but after the game something clicked, and it became special. It was an indescribable feeling. "

Can you give us some examples of this new reality in England? 

"The main differences I have noticed are in the way the club works. Everything is done in detail and with great care. The matches also have a different pace.

"At first, I thought I would not feel such a big difference because I am a strong player who enjoys the physical side of the game, but once you get into the matches, it is a world apart.

"The pace is different, with transitions and full-pitch pressing. Brighton are also known for liking to press and for reacting well when they lose the ball.

"Just a few days ago, our coach showed us that we are the Premier League team covering the most distance during matches. It demands a great deal from us physically. It has been a very, very challenging test for me."

And looking at the atmosphere in the stadiums, have you felt the fans’ passion? How have you adapted to the city and the club with all these new experiences?

"Brighton are not known for having the most passionate fans, but the atmosphere has been good. Away games have also been a great experience, with the stadiums always packed.

"I played at Old Trafford in front of more than 70,000 people. It was incredible, a historic stadium, and we won after coming from behind. We were 2-0 down and won 3-2.

"It was an incredible feeling. For now, I cannot say anything negative because we have started the season so well. It has been a dream, an indescribable experience."

You mentioned the win over Manchester United earlier, but beating champions Arsenal was also special. Was it the icing on the cake so far? 

"It is still very early. Of course, we have to dream big and work to go further. That is what we have been doing.

"In the week before the Arsenal game, coach Fabian Hurzeler told us that it would be possible to win. I am also adapting to this completely different mentality, but I like this ambition.

"During that week’s meetings – we have a lot of meetings – the boss told us that Arsenal had been champions the previous season and had been the most consistent team in everything: ‘I really like the coach, Arteta. The team is incredible, and we have the utmost respect for them, but I think we have a great chance of winning, especially at home. We have our strategy.’

"The truth is that the team fully embraced the coach’s idea. We played with intensity in the first 15 to 20 minutes and won the ball back several times in the attacking half. Arsenal tried to play, but could not create scoring chances, and a murmur began to grow around the stadium. 

"Our coach places great importance on several things: in the first five minutes, we have to win the first throw-in, draw the first foul, win the first duel and win a corner.

"That is how we managed to knock Arsenal’s confidence, create our chances and score before half-time. Then we scored at the start of the second half, and the third was the icing on the cake."

Life with Brighton and reflecting on Portugal

Brighton have made a great start to the season. If the league ended now, it would be perfect, wouldn’t it? 

"Of course it would. This club has an incredible way of working. Almost everything is managed based on statistics. Targets have been set for the next five years, along with a pathway to achieve them.

"Everything they want, what may or may not happen. But I do not want to go on about it. One of the targets is for the club to continue playing in European competitions and reach the Champions League. If the league ended now, we would be there, and that objective would have been achieved (at the time of the interview, Brighton were third, ed.).

"The club has grown a lot in recent years and plays very attractive football. It has created a method and a style that have also helped it sell players to major clubs.

"Everyone on the staff embraces that method; we are all rowing in the same direction. Anyone who does things differently leaves – they do not care.

"That is another reason why it has been such a different experience. I did not arrive with that mentality from Rio Ave or Olympiacos, although they are both great clubs that helped me develop.

"Here at Brighton, the details are completely different. I want to stay because it has been a great experience."

How has your adaptation to the city been?

"It has been easier than I expected. I have a beach, but no sand, just stones (laughs). This has been one of the warmest years in England in recent times, especially in Brighton.

"I spent the last few years in Athens and had an incredible life there, but when you weigh everything up – football and quality of life – it is much better here.

"The club gives me complete support, not only me but also my girlfriend, so that we can be as relaxed as possible. They help us with everything.

"They want us to feel comfortable and for football to be our only concern. It has been a good adaptation. At first, I was looking at houses, but once that was sorted, things settled down."

What is your daily routine like between training, matches and rest? 

"My life is going to be very different now. We will have several matches within a month; it will be a race. More than half of those games will be away from home, involving a lot of travel, and we also have the Conference League.

"But my daily routine is normal. I leave home at around eight o’clock and live five minutes from the training ground. I have breakfast at the club, then receive treatment and do some pre-activation work. Training normally lasts an hour and a half, an hour and 45 minutes, and sometimes two hours.

"We often do additional work too; 10 or 15 minutes after training, most of us stay behind to do extra work: the centre-backs have a specific session, and the full-backs do the same.

"There is a different, specialist staff working with players in every position. Depending on the day, we may go to the gym and work more on our legs or upper body. I almost always have lunch at the club"

Do you understand everything people say to you? How good is your English?

"I have English lessons and am still improving. The pronunciation here is more aggressive, and I have had some difficulty understanding it, but I am much better now. The club is concerned about that too. There is an English teacher available to us, and I have lessons.

"After that, when I leave the training ground, I have a nap. I stay at home or go for a walk with my girlfriend and our dog. Brighton city centre is 15 or 20 minutes from my house.

"We make the most of it by going for a walk and having dinner. I go to bed at 10 or 10:30. On days off, as we are about an hour and 15 minutes away, we go to London. I have already been there with my family when they came to visit me."

You mentioned earlier the importance of data at Brighton and throughout the group of clubs owned by Tony Bloom. Can you explain the background to your signing?

"I made an immediate impression. From the first conversations and the first few days of training, I noticed that with the staff and the other players.

"As for my signing, they had a complete report containing my data: how much high-intensity running I can produce in matches, how many kilometres I cover on average, and what my mentality is like. They had several other right-backs in mind too. 

"A year and a half before finalising my signing, they started asking various players who had been my opponents or team-mates when I was 18 at Rio Ave, where I did not play and only trained with the first team.

"They asked what I was like in training and away from training, and how they had got to know me. Later, they asked some of my former coaches. I think they even spoke to Luís Freire’s staff.

"Then they widened the search and contacted my closest friends. They spoke, for example, to Aderlan Santos. We are very close, and he helped me a lot. We are friends, and he knows me very well. 

"They spoke to Marcelo, who now plays for Leiria. He was never my teammate; I only played against him. Marcelo then came to speak to me and told me about it.

"You can see how far they go to minimise the margin for error when signing a player. I am 26, but here I already feel like an old-timer; I am one of the oldest players in the squad.

"The club goes into detail about everything: training, matches, signings and nutrition. Players have to be at the highest level in every respect to make it here and succeed. I was no exception."

Looking over to the Portuguese national team, have you enjoyed these first four games of the Jorge Jesus era? What did you make of the situation between him and Cristiano Ronaldo?

"A great deal has already been said about it – too much, in fact. I do not think it is healthy to remain stuck on the issue because the situation will be resolved in the best possible way, I hope.

"All of us – players, officials, the national team manager, fans and the media – have to row in the same direction, supporting and helping Portugal win as much as possible. 

"But speaking about football, it was clear to everyone from the last four games that we were very competitive and managed to win, which is the most important thing.

"In footballing terms, I think it was very positive. It is not easy for the coach or the players in such a short space of time, but we are on the right track.

"There is a good connection between the players and we have already seen some tactical ideas, although I think we need to give it more time.

"Boss Jorge Jesus has good ideas about the game. I also have some former teammates who have spoken to me about him and say he was the best coach they ever had tactically.

"So I think the national team will improve. That is another reason why I am trying to reach the national team: I would like to experience working with him."

Beginning at Rio Ave, Greece's rise and bond with parents

You spent seven seasons at Rio Ave, from the academy through the under-23s and into the first team. What memories do you have of that period? 

"Rio Ave is a beautiful story and I was very happy in Vila do Conde. Looking back, there were times when I complained: ‘Perhaps I lost a year or two here because I took a while to make the transition to the first team’.

"Now, with a cooler head, it was the perfect path. Rio Ave gave me a helping hand when I needed it most and helped me become the person I am today.

"I joined the club in a difficult situation. At 17, I was released by SC Braga and told my parents that football was over for me. That was not what I wanted, and my parents had made a huge sacrifice since I started playing.

"They had done everything to ensure I lacked nothing and could dedicate myself to football. Then, when I was released by SC Braga – and I think I deserved to be released after the season I had – I felt lost.

"Almost everything I had was there (Braga), and from one day to the next it all ended. It was quite a shock for me. I told my parents that football was over, that I was going to quit because I was not well. I had been released and was also struggling at school. 

"I felt that I was letting my parents down. ‘What am I going to do now?’ My parents worked in agriculture. Much as I liked it, I did not want to work in that world either. When the chance to play for Rio Ave came up, it changed something in my mind: ‘This is my last chance and I have to seize it by any means necessary.’"

What are your next objectives: establishing yourself in the Premier League with Brighton or perhaps taking on another challenge at a more high-profile club? 

"I have only been here a short time, and things have gone well. I have not played many matches yet, but collectively things have gone very well and I am loving the experience.

"I am not ruling out a Portuguese club, one of the big Portuguese clubs, but I want to establish myself at Brighton and try to stay in the Premier League because I am in a different world."

Who are your main role models?

"My parents are my main role models. They were not particularly interested in football, but now they have been forced to take an interest. Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a role model because of his mentality.

"I have always enjoyed watching his videos, the way he plays and the way he works. Among players who play in my position, there are Kyle Walker, Hakimi and Trent Alexander-Arnold. João Cancelo is incredible.

"Nuno Mendes is also sensational. At the club, they send me videos of him, Hakimi and Cancelo for inspiration. Those are my role models."

I see you become emotional whenever you talk about your parents. Is there anything you would like to say to them?

"Just thank you. They know how grateful I am, and I try to show it more and more through small gestures, like a hug. When I was younger, we did not have that mentality as much, but I try to give them as much as I can. 

"I have not bought them a house yet, but we have taken several trips. A house is a dream of mine, and I hope to make it happen.

"The first trip we took as a family was when I was 21, when we went to Troia. We left our village, our comfort zone. The whole family came with us, and we even took my dog.

"They were incredible and very rewarding moments. Later, I managed to take them to Greece, and they have already visited me here in Brighton.

"My girlfriend is also a very important person. We started dating when I was released by SC Braga, and she is from Braga. She has been with me throughout this journey."

Which coaches have made the biggest impression on you? You have already mentioned two. 

"They have all left their mark in some way. Coach Mateus, with Rio Ave’s juniors, pushed me to my limits and told me: ‘You have to improve. You are knocking on the door of Portugal’s younger national teams, but you need to improve in certain areas.’ 

"Coach Pedro Cunha also made an impression. We had a young under-23 team and played incredible football. I began playing with the team at 18.

"Luis Freire helped me enormously. I worked with him for three years. They were years of constant learning. He is a bit like me: crazy about his work and a great believer in what he does. He used to say: ‘If 10 hours of work are not enough, work 12.’

"Jose Luis Mendilibar is a little old school in some respects, but he is an incredible person. His personal side is incredible. He can build strong bonds with players in training and is always pushing us.

"After I was unsure whether to join Olympiacos, he believed in me and my work. I won the Greek league, the Cup and the Super Cup, and played in the Europa League and Champions League.

"It was an incredible experience. But it would be unfair to mention only certain people and not the coaching staff. Rio Ave’s president helped me a lot and always believed in me."

You represented Olympiacos for two seasons and know the country well. The new generation of Greek players has several talents. What is the secret?

"I would not say the Greek league is better than the Portuguese one, but the level is not very different. It is a very strong and competitive league.

"At Olympiacos, the demands are enormous and when we draw a game, it feels like we have lost. When that happens, people do not say good morning to you; they look at you differently.

"We drew a Europa League home game against Rangers, and the following day we had training. They did not greet us and looked at us suspiciously. 

"Talking about young players, we had several talents in Olympiacos’ squad, such as Christos Mouzakitis, who is now at Hull City. It is not easy for a player to come through the academy and make his first-team debut because the demands are always high and we have to win every game. 

"Giannis Konstantelias, who is now at Borussia Dortmund and suffered a serious injury, is a name to watch. I faced him when he was at PAOK and he gave me a very hard time on two occasions. The boy has enormous quality."

Brighton have been a launchpad for several players in recent seasons. Which teammates have surprised you most?

"That is a very difficult question, but we have several players. The one who has surprised me most is Pascal Gross, although he is not a surprise to anyone; he has already been named Player of the Month.

"He is 35, but his dedication and passion in training and matches are above average. Every day after training, he stays on the pitch for another 15 minutes to work on finishing and practise free-kicks or penalties.

"At his age, he covers around 13 kilometres every three days. I think: ‘How is that possible?’ He presses like a madman.

"But we have a squad with a lot of quality. Charalampos Kostoulas had a difficult adaptation last season, with several injuries because he was getting used to the intensity of the Premier League. He is physically very strong, but the pace is different here in England.

"Luka Vuskovic also surprised me a great deal. He is 19 and has impressive maturity. I also like Diego Gomez a lot. He played several matches last season and has been very good this year.

"And Malick Yalcouye. To be honest, during pre-season I looked at him – a skinny, small kid – and he had unbelievable ability. But then I thought: ‘Will this guy get a chance in the Premier League at 65 kilos?’

"In the first games we played, he glided past opponents with incredible ease, turned away from them, escaped with or without the ball, looked for space and carried it forward. With confidence, he is becoming a monster.

"When he returned from Ivory Coast duty, he trained for the first time and scored an incredible goal. If he avoids injuries, he can be very successful and could become another player the club sells on."

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