It was his merit I understand extraordinarily quickly what it means to play for Boca. He did this not only through words, but also through actions. Ayrton CostaThe scorer of the main goal that qualified Boca to the semi-finals of the Closing Championship, had dreamed since he was a child of wearing the colors of Zinezi. Once he accomplished this and was able to prove himself in the last line, he redoubled his efforts not to give up this position that cost him so much to conquer, after a volatile start at Independiente, a loan to Platense that allowed him to relaunch his career, and a stay of only six months in Belgian football that served as a stepping stone to reach Boca. As the matches went on, it became that way One of the pillars of Claudio Ubeda’s team And one of the players most appreciated by the fans, along with Leandro Paredes and Miguel Merentel.
Ayrton Costa began private training four months ago To improve their physical and nervous condition. The results are clear: he is the Boca player who made the most duels in the tournament, both in the air and on the ground, and scored against Argentinos Juniors. His third goal in the Clausura He received a standing ovation from the Bombonera. On Sunday you will have a new challenge: He faces none other than Adrian Martinez, Racing’s top scorerwho will reach the classic match after ten matches without scoring any goals and will seek to end this streak immediately before the final match.
Costa, who boxed as a boy and developed an exceptional physique Which helped him consolidate his position as a defender despite his height (1.79), Training began in both shifts After his participation in the Club World Cup, where Miguel Russo gave him confidence and support as a starting player, even when he arrived in Miami just two days before the first match against Benfica, after the United States government refused to grant him an entry visa on two occasions because he was serving a sentence. on probation In a theft case from 2018 in Bernal.
Finally, the defender, who has been rotating in the team during Fernando Gago’s rotation, has established himself in the position and His good performance led to the announcement of Marcos Rojo’s departureThen the captain, who stopped getting opportunities and increased his struggles outside of football, terminated his contract. Costa played at a high level against Benfica, and was even better against Bayern Munich, and a muscle injury kept him out of the decisive match against Auckland City, which Boca had to score, which led to his elimination.
This absence marked him: back in Buenos Aires, Costa made up his mind not to give up anywhere else. The tear left him out of court for 47 daysThis is the period in which Marco Pellegrino took advantage of the opportunity to film and perform well. Costa regained his place after three matches, precisely due to the injury of the former Huracan, and asserted his ownership in each of the 12 matches he played, forming an excellent duo with Lautaro de Lolo and at the age of 26 became the leader of the defence.
At least once a week, Costa visits the gym in Parque Avellaneda where he performs Specific training courses With physical trainer Mirko Osan. The venue, called Arco Sports and created three years ago, is also frequented by other footballers that Osan accompanies, such as Valentin Gomez, from Betis; Elian Irala, the former San Lorenzo midfielder who today plays in the United Arab Emirates; And Francisco Alvarez, Argentinos Juniors defender and Costa’s opponent on Sunday in the Bombonera. It is a series of exercises that improve the physical part, such as agility, movements and launches, but also the mental part, with special emphasis on attention, sudden movement and reaction ability.
“the truth, I was surprised by the way Ayrton worked. Even when he arrives very tired after the match, he still comes to recover: compression boots, sauna and cryotherapy pool – Osan explains to LA NACION -. The training targeted the abilities he wanted to improve: first, strengthening the entire posterior chain to recover from a tear; And then reinforce other points such as Strength, speed, resistance, and the ability to jump and make decisions under pressure and fatigue“, continues Mirco, son of Pablo Usan, physical coach of the San Lorenzo youth teams.
Against Racing, Costa will play his 26th match in Boca. Since returning from his tear, he has not missed anything and has always completed 90 minutes. As for Claudio Ubeda, who played in the same position, he is a footballer It is irreplaceable For several reasons: his defensive solidity, his physical strength, his presence in the air in both regions, and above all, His speed in covering spaces when the team is long.
Recently, the 26-year-old from Quilmenho has emerged as a potential call-up for the Cape Verdean squad heading to the 2026 World Cup, given that his grandfather was from that country, with Gustavo Alfaro reportedly putting him in the pipeline for representation of paraguay, Although, as LA NACION has learned, it is not under consideration, at least in the short term. anyway, Costa explained that his goal is to become a Boca champion Just then, he got excited about a call from Lionel Scaloni.
The goal now is to get Boca to the final. To crown a sacred semester in which he was able to control the cave thanks to loyalty and perseverance, and For the work he does when the cameras are off.