FC Porto coach Sérgio Conceição recalled with a smile the joke he made about "closing the airports" to prevent goalkeeper Diogo Costa from leaving the club. The reference comes in the context of a humorous strategy to keep the player.
Diogo Costa is FC Porto's first-choice goalkeeper and has been a fundamental piece in the team. The club went through a period where several key players left, which made talent retention a constant concern.
Conceição's joke reflects the importance that the goalkeeper represents for the Porto side. Keeping Diogo Costa has been considered essential for the club's sporting ambitions.
The episode illustrates the close relationship between the coach and the player, demonstrating how, even in a joking tone, Conceição expresses how much he values keeping his best players at FC Porto.
