Jeju SK has appointed Sergio Costa, former assistant to Paulo Bento, as the club’s new head coach.(Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Sergio Costa will take charge of the team starting in the 2026 season and he is a familiar name to Korean fans. He has developed close links with the South Korean national team as part of head coach Paulo Bento’s team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. At that time, Costa served as the first assistant coach and was regarded as the tactical planner of the Bento camp. It is worth noting that before South Korea’s final Group H game against Portugal, Bento was suspended for being sent off in the previous game against Ghana. Costa came on and led the team to a dramatic 2-1 victory over South Korea and advanced to the top 16.
advertise
Costa said: “My life in Korea since 2018 has been really wonderful. After leaving Korea, I missed everything – the people, the lifestyle and the food. Even my family told me they wanted to return to Korea. Most importantly, I received such warm love from Korean fans. I sincerely thank Jeju SK for giving me the opportunity Returning to Korea and repaying this love on the K-League stage. I am honored to accept my first head coaching challenge with everyone at Jeju SK. I also know how difficult the 2025 season will be for the club, which makes my sense of responsibility and motivation stronger than ever, and I will do my best to lead Jeju SK.”
Often referred to as “the strategist of Bento employees,” Costa brings extensive international experience. His career includes work as a scout and performance analyst at Sporting CP (Portugal, 2007-2010); assistant coach and performance analyst for the Portuguese national team (2016); assistant coach at Cruzeiro EC (Brazil, 2016) Year); assistant coach of Olympiacos Football Club (Greece, 2016-2017); assistant coach of Chongqing Dangdai Lifan (China, 2018); assistant coach of the South Korean national team (2018-2022); most recently, he served as the assistant coach of the United Arab Emirates national team until March this year. His wealth of experience and proven abilities compare favorably with any coach at the same level.
Costa also has an in-depth understanding of Korean players and the K-League. During his tenure with the national team, he and Bento personally watched K-League games and carefully analyzed the players’ movements and performance. Since he is a performance analyst, he independently compiles video footage and data of key situations, naturally gaining a comprehensive understanding of the league as a whole. Combining the advanced football systems, concepts and expertise developed with Bento, Costa is seen as the ideal figure to lead change and innovation, and Jeju SK aims to achieve a new leap forward in the 2026 season.
Jeju SK also sees Costa’s appointment as an opportunity to reignite past successes of foreign head coaches. He became the club’s first foreign head coach since Valery Nepomnyashchy (Russia), who led Yukong Elephants/Bucheon SK from 1995 to 1998 and sparked the famous “Nipo Football” phenomenon. In addition, Jeju SK has also appointed foreign head coaches such as Tınaz Tırpan (the 7th head coach, Turkey, 2002-2003) and Arthur Bernardes (the 10th Brazilian head coach, 2008-2009). With the experience and expertise gained from these appointments, the club plans to once again maximize synergies.
advertise
Upon arriving in South Korea, Costa will quickly begin to reorganize the Jeju SK team after a tumultuous year. He stressed the importance of communication at all levels and will meet with the media on Monday, December 29, to hear all perspectives and share his vision. At this meeting, he will outline Jeju SK’s overall plan and strategic roadmap and deliver a special message reflecting his deep affection for South Korea during his four years and four months as the national team’s assistant coach until the 2022 World Cup.