1. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Tino Costa's early life and the initial stages of his football career saw him develop his skills in Argentina and then take a significant step by moving to the Caribbean.
1.1. Youth and Amateur Football
Alberto Facundo Costa, commonly known as Tino, was born on 9 January 1985 in Las Flores, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He began his football journey in 1996, joining the youth team of his local club, La Terrazza. At the age of 17, Costa made the bold decision to leave Argentina and move to the island of Guadeloupe, where he joined Racing Club de Basse-Terre in the Guadeloupe Division d'Honneur in 2002. During his time on the island, he balanced his football commitments with academic pursuits and worked at a supermarket. He made his top team debut in 2003. Costa spent two years at the club, during which he helped them achieve a notable league and cup double in the 2003-04 season. He also participated in the 2004 edition of the Coupe de Guadeloupe final, contributing to his club's 3-1 victory over AS Gosier. His impressive performances in Guadeloupe drew the attention of clubs in higher divisions in France.
1.2. Early Professional Clubs in France
After two years in Guadeloupe, Costa's talent was recognized by Racing Club de Paris, a team then playing in the third-tier National league. He was offered a trial and subsequently signed with the club in 2004. During his single season at Racing Club de Paris (2004-05), Costa made 28 appearances and scored 3 goals across all competitions.
The following season, Costa moved to Pau FC, another club in the National league. He spent two seasons at Pau (2005-07), appearing in 62 matches and scoring 4 goals. His contributions helped Pau FC narrowly avoid relegation in both years, securing the club's survival in the third division.
For the 2007-08 season, Costa joined his third National league club, FC Sète. At Sète, he became a prominent figure in the league, participating in 29 matches and scoring 3 goals, while also providing 7 assists. His efforts helped Sète finish within seven points of promotion to a higher division. He also accumulated nine yellow cards during this period. For his outstanding performances, Costa was named the league's top player, which generated significant interest from clubs in higher divisions of French football.
2. Professional Club Career
Tino Costa's professional career saw him play for a variety of clubs across Europe and South America, making significant impacts and showcasing his midfield prowess.
2.1. Montpellier
In 2008, Costa signed a three-year contract with Montpellier HSC, which was then competing in Ligue 2. He made his debut for the club in their opening match of the 2008-09 season, playing the full 90 minutes in a loss to RC Strasbourg. A few weeks later, he scored his first goal for Montpellier in a dominant 4-0 victory over Stade Reims. After a period of being scoreless in the fall season, he regained his form mid-season, scoring a brace against US Boulogne. In the latter part of the season, over a span of six weeks, Costa scored goals against Dijon FCO, LB Châteauroux, Stade Brestois 29, and Clermont Foot.
These contributions were crucial as Montpellier was vying for promotion to Ligue 1. The club's fate was decided on the final day of the season with a 2-1 victory over Strasbourg, who were also seeking promotion. Costa scored the game-winning goal in the 19th minute, a crucial moment that sealed Montpellier's return to Ligue 1. For the entire season, Costa recorded 8 goals and 11 assists. His stellar performance earned him a nomination for the Ligue 2 Player of the Year award, though he ultimately lost to Paul Alo'o.
Following this successful season, several Ligue 1 clubs, including RC Lens and Toulouse FC, expressed interest in signing Costa. However, he reaffirmed his commitment to Montpellier, rejecting offers and signing a contract extension on 1 July 2009, which tied him to the club until 2013. Despite missing the club's opening 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Costa made his Ligue 1 debut against FC Lorient, scoring Montpellier's opening goal in the 60th minute, in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw. The following week, he scored again in a 2-0 victory over FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. Two weeks later, he converted a 39th-minute penalty against Lens, which proved to be the decisive goal in that match. In the 2009-10 season, he played 31 matches, scoring 7 goals and providing 6 assists, contributing to Montpellier's fifth-place finish and qualification for the UEFA Europa League.
2.2. Valencia
On 1 July 2010, Costa made a significant move to La Liga club Valencia CF, signing a four-year contract for a transfer fee of 6.50 M EUR. He made his La Liga debut on September 11, appearing as a substitute against Racing de Santander. Just three days later, on September 14, he scored his first goal for Valencia on his debut in the UEFA Champions League. In a match against Bursaspor, Costa unleashed an accurate shot from 30 yd out, opening the scoring in a 4-0 victory. He was also instrumental in the second goal, hitting the post with a direct free-kick, which led to Aritz Aduriz scoring from the rebound. For his performance in this match, Costa was named the Man of the Match by UEFA.
He scored his first league goal for Valencia against Getafe CF on 14 November 2010. On 18 December, he scored his second league goal from a 35 yd free-kick against Real Sociedad. In 2011, Costa acquired French nationality through naturalization. During his time at Valencia, he played 82 league matches, scoring 10 goals, and made 24 appearances in European competitions, scoring 3 goals. He participated in 9 domestic cup matches, scoring 3 goals.
2.3. Spartak Moscow and Loan Spells
On 5 June 2013, Costa left Valencia to join Russian club FC Spartak Moscow for a transfer fee of 7.00 M EUR. He played for Spartak for two seasons, making 24 appearances and scoring 3 goals in the 2013-14 Russian Premier League season. The following season, he made 7 league appearances. In total, he played 31 league matches, scoring 3 goals, and also made 2 appearances in European competitions.
During his time at Spartak Moscow, Costa was sent on loan to two Serie A clubs in Italy. He joined Genoa C.F.C. for the 2014-15 season, where he played 6 league matches and scored 2 goals. He continued with Genoa for the first half of the 2015-16 season, making 12 appearances. On 15 January 2016, ACF Fiorentina confirmed the signing of Costa on a six-month loan, with an option for a permanent transfer at the end of the season. He made 7 league appearances and 1 appearance in European competition for Fiorentina.
2.4. Later Career
After his loan spells, on 21 July 2016, Costa left Spartak Moscow to join Argentine club San Lorenzo as a free agent, signing a three-year contract. This marked his return to play in his home country for the first time since his youth career. However, he only made 8 league appearances for the club during his spell. He also played 2 domestic cup matches and 3 appearances in continental competitions.
On 1 August 2017, Costa signed a one-year deal with UD Almería in Segunda División, marking his return to Spain. He contributed two goals in only 14 appearances, as his season was significantly affected by injuries.
In July 2018, he returned to Argentina, joining San Martín de Tucumán. He played 13 league matches, scoring 4 goals, and also appeared in 2 domestic cup matches.
In 2019, Costa moved to Colombia to play for Atlético Nacional in Categoría Primera A. He made 9 league appearances, scoring 1 goal, and played 2 domestic cup matches in 2019, with 2 league appearances in 2020.
He had a second stint at San Martín de Tucumán from 2020 to 2022, playing 41 matches and scoring 6 goals in the Primera B Nacional. In 2023, he briefly played for CD Morón, appearing in 2 matches.
3. International Career
Alberto Facundo Costa made appearances for the Argentina national football team. Between 2011 and 2012, he played in 2 international matches, though he did not score any goals for his national team.
4. Playing Style
Tino Costa primarily played as a midfielder, often deployed as a central midfielder (CMF) or an attacking midfielder. Standing at 69 in (176 cm) and weighing 154 lb (70 kg), his key characteristic was his dominant left-footed play, which allowed him to deliver accurate kicks. This attribute made him a valuable asset for playmaking and goal-scoring from midfield positions.
5. Retirement
In September 2023, at the age of 38, after being without a club since March of that year, Tino Costa signed a one-year contract with Pau FC, one of his former professional clubs where he had played for two seasons between 2005 and 2007. Costa had been training with Pau FC since September 4, and his excellent physical condition prompted the club officials to offer him the contract. In May 2024, Costa announced his retirement from professional football, concluding his career at Pau FC.
6. Honours
Costa achieved several team honors during his career:
- Racing Club de Basse-Terre
- Guadeloupe Division d'Honneur: 2003-04
- Coupe de Guadeloupe: 2004
7. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| RC Basse-Terre | 2003-04 | Guadeloupe Division of Honour | ||||||||
| Racing Paris | 2004-05 | National | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| Pau | 2005-06 | National | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| 2006-07 | National | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| Sète | 2007-08 | National | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 |
| Montpellier | 2008-09 | Ligue 2 | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 8 |
| 2009-10 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 7 | |
| Valencia | 2010-11 | La Liga | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 32 | 6 |
| 2011-12 | La Liga | 27 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 41 | 7 | |
| 2012-13 | La Liga | 31 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 42 | 3 | |
| Spartak Moscow | 2013-14 | Russian Premier League | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| 2014-15 | Russian Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Genoa (loan) | 2014-15 | Serie A | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| 2015-16 | Serie A | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Fiorentina (loan) | 2015-16 | Serie A | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| San Lorenzo | 2016-17 | Argentine Primera División | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Almería | 2017-18 | Segunda División | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
| San Martín Tucumán | 2018-19 | Argentine Primera División | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 |
| 2020-22 | Primera B Nacional | 41 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 6 | |
| Atlético Nacional | 2019 | Categoría Primera A | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 2020 | Categoría Primera A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Morón | 2023 | Primera B Nacional | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Pau | 2023-24 | National | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | 415 | 53 | 24 | 3 | 30 | 3 | 469 | 59 | ||
8. Personal Life
Alberto Facundo "Tino" Costa was born on 9 January 1985 in Las Flores, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Beyond his Argentine roots, he also acquired French nationality by naturalization in 2011, reflecting his extensive career and personal connections in France.