A genuine star still in Brazil by the sounds of it. Expect a few Brazilians to turn up to watch him play at the ROF and Mt Smart.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350391300/former-juventus-and-bayern-munich-star-douglas-costa-coming-leagueHe also boasts a huge social media presence, with more than 6 million followers on Instagram, which will bring much-needed exposure to the A-League Men at a critical point in the competition’s juncture - as well as hopefully unlock the support of the city’s sizeable Brazilian community for the Sky Blues.
The key question, as with all such moves for big-name players in the latter part of their careers, will be if Costa can hold up his end of the bargain on the field.
His 22 appearances for Fluminense this year were mostly as a substitute, and he returned just one assist and no goals before deciding to terminate his contract.
“[Costa] is one of the most high-profile footballers to ever play on these shores and the eyes of the football world will be on Sydney FC and the A-League this season,” said Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow.
“Douglas is a proven winner, and his record of titles in the world’s top leagues is testament to that. This is yet another landmark signing in our club’s history and we welcome Douglas to Australia.”
The Sky Blues have shown a sharper interest in Brazilian talent of late, largely due to the well-connected former midfielder Alexander Baumjohann, who is now their director of player management.
Baumjohann once played in Brazil and helped clinch the signature of Leo Sena, the former Italian Serie A midfielder whose career was derailed by legal issues related to a bout of Covid-19.
