Jaume Costa: "After my first session back, I thought I couldn't be any luckier"

Jaume Costa held a talk this Wednesday with FutEdu, a company that organises campuses and events based on football and education and for whom he is an ambassador. In an Instagram live session, he answered questions from Valencianistas.

How are you?

“I’m well, despite the difficult situation we are going through. This situation is more difficult for some than for others and I feel privileged, but it tough for everyone. I am a man of routine, and although I have a gym and a garden at home, the passage of time gives me a little anxiety. I miss being able to see my teammates, training, laughter. I spend a lot of time at home with my family anyway, but I miss having a routine based on work, my children and home life.”

When do you think football will return?

“That's the million dollar question, the one everyone is asking. I have no idea. Few people can answer that. We are getting information on more or less when we will be able to start training, but we will have to take things step by step, very gradually. Maybe it will start individually. I heard people say that with this contagion, football has to stop. We don't want that to happen.”

Is it true that you have a Grade II coaching badge?

“I have Grade II and I want to wait until I retire to continue getting more badges. I would like to do my Grade III in person and with people who help me.”

What were your feelings upon your return to Valencia CF?

“It was a beautiful moment. I came to a club, Valencia CF, where I had spent a long time and which, after many years, were committed to me again. Taking a journey to work that I hadn't made in a long time was sentimentally very beautiful. The first few days I was very nervous because I didn't know what I was going to encounter. The first day of training killed me, as the players are so good. Fortunately, I already knew many people from the staff and the players… When I got home after the first training session I said ‘I couldn't be any luckier.’”

What advice would you give to the Jaume Costa from ten years ago, and ten years from now?

“That's a hard question. If it were up to me, I wouldn't say anything to the Jaume from ten years ago; everything I've been through has taken me to where I am today. Today, at 32 years old, I wouldn't want to change anything. When we are young, at fourteen, fifteen or sixteen, we do things that we are not proud of, but it is a fundamental part of life for us to mature and be who we are. I’d ask Jaume Costa in ten years if he is alive (laughs). I would hope that at 42 he has not gained much weight. No, seriously, I would tell him to enjoy everything he hasn’t been able to enjoy since he was nine years old.”

Which player do you get along with best on the team?

"I have been lucky to be part of great squads with great players, but also great people. That is the most important thing. I don’t want a great player by my side if he is not also a good person. At Valencia CF I already knew Cheryshev, Gayà, Jaume Domènech, Carlos Soler. But I’ll say Cheryshev, who was an important part of my return to Valencia CF. Off the pitch he is a wonderful person. In the good times and bad times we are there for each other. We have a wonderful dressing room, with people from different countries. They are all beautiful people.”

When you have played at right back, did it you struggle to adapt?

“In the end, the key is to position yourself differently. Although it seems easy, it is very difficult. I really appreciate versatile players like Miguel Ángel Angulo or Carlos Soler. It is very difficult to adapt to a position that is not your own -more than it seems. The most important thing is consistency and hard work.”

Who was your idol when you were little?

“The one that made the biggest impact on me was Kily González. When he played I was moved by his character, his dedication and his determination. Besides his quality, he always gave everything. The fans value that. Throughout my career I have identified with him. Even though things go wrong, because nobody is perfect and we all have good games and bad games, you have to be dedicated. That is fundamental.”

How did you feel about your first ovation at Mestalla against Real Sociedad?

“I didn’t expect it. I’d left the club at 21 and nobody knew me then. Also, one day I had an incident with Mestalla when I played for Villarreal CF. I was fouled and I am very hot-headed. I looked at the stands and within ten seconds I was apologising. It was actually by that same section of the stands that I went off against Real Sociedad when I was substituted. That moved me. It was a memory that will stay with me me when I retire, and one that makes me feel privileged.”

What is your target for goals for next season?

“It amuses me, because when children ask me that, I always say that I have scored five goals -in my whole career (laughs). I don’t set targets for that; I’m a defender. I have an average of one goal per season. I will try to continue helping the team. It sounds clichéd, but it's really what I think.”

Has your diet changed during the lockdown?

“No. As time goes by you need to take care of yourself even more. I have had a few years in which I have been educated to control my food a lot. I know what I can eat and what I can’t eat at all times. When the lockdown started I lost three kilos, and right now I am at the ideal weight. If we were to start training again tomorrow, I would be at the ideal weight.”

“We have to take the pandemic into account. We have spent more than a month in our houses without being able to leave and everything has to be very controlled. Hopefully we start training with our teammates as soon as possible, but one false move and everything will start again.”