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| Sunday, 24 May 2009 20:56 |
An unlucky season with a happy ending - Wolfsburg’s Ricardo CostaWolves celebrate first title As he joined his Wolfsburg team-mates in celebrating the club’s first ever title in a city street parade, Portuguese defender Ricardo Costa admits the triumph is a nice way to end what has been a frustrating season on a personal level.The former Porto stopper has endured a frustrating time with injury for much of his two years in Germany since signing for Wolfsburg in the summer of 2007. Having recovered from a serious knee injury to play a major role in the second half of his first campaign in the Bundesliga, fitness issues have once again troubled the 28-year-old this season. Costa’s inability to get himself back to 100% for the title run-in made it difficult for Wolfsburg manager Felix Magath to give him regular first team football, as the club battled with Bayern Munich, Hertha Berlin and others in their ultimately successful bid to secure a first-ever Bundesliga title. “It was a season of bad luck, but with a happy ending,” Costa told Record while celebrating the team’s title triumph during a parade in the city. “I had a lot of injuries, one broken bone in my foot, several sprains that often put me out of action. But we have ended up as champions and that is the most important thing.” Having spent much of the second half of the season on the substitutes bench, Costa’s future has been called into doubt. However, the player insists he is looking ahead to building on this season’s success at the Volkswagen Stadium. “I have some offers,” he admitted. “But that is for Wolfsburg to decide. We will play in the Champions League, which is an incentive, and we will have a new manager and start a new cycle. Beyond that, I have the respect and affection of the fans.” The club have been quick to announce a successor to outgoing manager Felix Magath, who is heading to Schalke for next season. Armin Veh, who guided a Stuttgart side captained by Fernando Meira to the German title two years ago, will be officially presented to the media on Monday. Add your comment |
