Persebaya Surabaya has made a significant move in the transfer market by announcing the signing of new foreign player Gilson Costa from Portugal. The former Benfica B player has officially joined the Green Force to strengthen their midfield for the 2024/2025 Liga 1 Indonesia season. The announcement was made via Persebaya’s official Instagram account on Saturday, accompanied by a warm welcome from fans.
“Welcome to the Persebaya family, Gilson Costa,” the Instagram account @officialpersebaya posted.
In the video shared, Gilson Costa is seen riding a motorcycle to the Gelora Bung Tomo (GBT) Stadium, displaying his excitement upon arriving at Persebaya’s home ground for the first time. Costa’s arrival is expected to bolster Persebaya’s strength, particularly with his impressive 85% passing accuracy.
Gilson Costa is not a new name in the football world. The Portuguese midfielder previously played alongside Flavio Silva in the Portugal U-19 and U-20 national teams. Flavio Silva himself was introduced as a new Persebaya player earlier in June, having been signed from Persik Kediri with notable statistics.
Costa’s presence at Persebaya is partly due to his intensive communication with Flavio Silva. Costa revealed that he had many discussions with Silva about Indonesian football. “I have talked a lot with Flavio about how football is in Indonesia. It is important for me to adapt here,” he said. Costa added that he is ready to undergo the training program set by Persebaya’s coaching team and expressed his eagerness to play in front of Persebaya’s loyal supporters, known as Bonek. “I am ready for the training program and can’t wait to play in front of Bonek,” he added.
Before Costa’s arrival, Persebaya had made significant changes to their foreign player lineup. Four foreign players—Dusan Stevanovic, Paulo Henrique, Yan Victor, and Robson Duarte—were released after the 2023/2024 Liga 1 season ended. Only Bruno Moreira has been retained, having signed a contract extension with Persebaya. Another foreign player, Song Ui-young, had previously left the team after reportedly returning to his home country of Singapore due to an injury.
Looking at Gilson Costa’s statistics from his time with Nejmeh SC, the 26-year-old midfielder demonstrated impressive performance. In four matches with Nejmeh SC, Costa started with an average playing time of 86 minutes per match. In terms of ball distribution, he exhibited excellent precision with 44 touches per match and 30.8 accurate passes (85%). His passing accuracy was notably high in his own half (91%) but decreased in the opponent’s half (66%), as well as in long passes (33%) and chipped passes (38%).
Defensively, Costa averaged 1.5 interceptions and tackles per match, along with 3.8 ball recoveries and 2.8 clearances, being dribbled past only 0.3 times per match. In duels, he won 63% of his total duels, with 62% success on the ground and 67% in the air. Despite losing possession 5.8 times per match, Costa committed only 0.5 fouls per match, with the same number of fouls committed against him, and was caught offside just 0.3 times. His disciplined play was evident, receiving only one yellow card without any red or yellow-red cards.
These statistics clearly show that Gilson Costa is a reliable player in controlling the game and maintaining stability in the midfield. His 85% passing accuracy is one of the key attributes that attracted Persebaya to sign him.
With Gilson Costa’s arrival, Persebaya hopes to improve their performance in the upcoming Liga 1 season. Costa’s presence in midfield is expected to provide the necessary stability and creativity to orchestrate attacks and maintain game balance. Additionally, Costa is anticipated to be a mentor for Persebaya’s young players. His experience playing at the international level with Portugal’s U-19 and U-20 national teams is expected to positively impact the development of young players in the team.
By signing new players like Gilson Costa, Persebaya Surabaya demonstrates its commitment to continue competing at the highest level of Indonesian football. Hopefully, Costa’s arrival brings a fresh breeze to the Green Force and helps them achieve their set targets.
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