Diogo Costa Says Porto Vs Alverca Title Push Is On Players' Minds
Diogo Costa said the title is on FC Porto's minds after porto vs alverca, and he made clear the club cannot hide from that reality. The captain said the players still have to do their part, with emotional control part of the job as the championship chase tightens on 2 May 2026.
"Significa o nosso esforço e dedicação. Temos apenas que fazer mais um jogo. Temos de fazer a nossa parte, o controlo emocional é muito importante hoje porque é difícil esconder tudo isto, não vou ser hipócrita e dizer que o título não nos passa pela cabeça. É óbvio que sim. Sei que as pessoas estão muito excitadas e eufóricas, mas somos os profissionais aqui e temos de fazer bem o nosso papel. É um orgulho jogar aqui."
Costa on Porto's responsibility
At 19:25, Costa framed the moment as one the squad has earned through effort, not mood. He said the team must make its part count and not pretend the title race is not in the room, a point he tied directly to the pressure of finishing the job properly in front of supporters.
He also pointed to the crowd in direct terms. "Agradecidos pela receção dos nossos adeptos, não só hoje como em todos os jogos. Eles fazem parte deste clube e da nossa motivação. Resta-nos fazer cumprir o sonho deles."
FC Porto's new direction
Costa said the goals avoided were a team effort, not an individual badge. He credited the coach's quality for bringing FC Porto a new direction and new ideas, and said some players who were not as well last year are completely different this season because of the intensity of the training and the energy around the squad.
That improvement sits beside a harder fact: FC Porto had gone three years without winning a championship. Costa said that history fell on him as captain, because he had to pass on the club's ADN and culture to teammates and explain what it means to represent FC Porto.
Three years without a championship
Costa called himself extremely proud and happy, but he did not soften the demand that comes with that pride. The title talk is no longer outside noise; it is part of the players' day at a moment when the club is pushing toward a championship after three years without one.
For Porto, the next step is simple in one way and heavy in another: make the effort count, keep control, and turn the supporters' expectation into the result Costa said they are trying to fulfill.
