Name: Gustavo Adolfo Costas Maqueira

Nickname: "Costitas"



Country: Argentina
Club: Racing Club
Shirt Number: 2, 6
Position: ★CB
Side: RF/BS
Age: 24-26 years (28/02/1963)

Height: 184 cm
Weight: 77 kg

Attack: 62
Defence: 83
Balance: 82
Stamina: 80
Top Speed: 79
Acceleration: 73
Response: 79
Agility: 75
Dribble Accuracy: 75
Dribble Speed: 70
Short Pass Accuracy: 77
Short Pass Speed: 72
Long Pass Accuracy: 73
Long Pass Speed: 75
Shot Accuracy: 64
Shot Power: 77
Shot Technique: 66
Free Kick Accuracy: 62
Swerve: 64
Heading: 77
Jump: 85
Technique: 74
Aggression: 65
Mentality: 84
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team work: 79

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Standard/Lasting

CARDS:
S09 - Covering
S10 - DF Leader

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Covering - D-Line Control

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Defence-Minded

INFO:
Gustavo Costas is an Argentine former footballer who played as a center-back. Born in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires (23/02/1963), Costas joined Racing Club’s youth divisions and made his First Division debut in 1981 at the age of 18, during a critical period for the club as it battled relegation, eventually dropping to the second division at the end of 1983. Costas played for eight years as Racing’s central defender and captained the team that brought the Avellaneda club back to the first division in 1985. He also tasted international glory, winning the 1988 Supercopa Sudamericana with a victory over Cruzeiro (2-1 and 1-1). In 1989, he transferred for the first time when Locarno, a Swiss club, acquired him. He spent three seasons there before returning to his beloved Racing Club, where he had a second spell from 1992 to 1996. Costas retired with an impressive record of 337 matches, becoming the player with the most appearances in Racing’s professional era. He ended his playing career with Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy in 1997. One of the greatest idols in Racing Club's history, Costas was not only an excellent player but also a significant figure in the club’s history. He described himself as "a fan from the stands who was allowed to play for Racing." Remarkably, he was also the mascot for the legendary "Equipo de José," the Racing team that won the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1967.

Costas managed Racing in three different tenures: 1999-2000, 2007, and 2023-2024. During his first stint, he shared coaching duties with another club legend, Humberto Maschio. Racing was enduring the most challenging period in its history at that time: just three days earlier, the club had been declared bankrupt and faced dissolution. Costas and Maschio, both inexperienced as coaches, took charge without official backing from the management. Among other efforts to stabilize the club, Costas opened a bank account in his name to allow fans to donate money, personally financed repairs to the club’s facilities, and paid some player salaries out of pocket. He also played a pivotal role in organizing the massive March 7, 1999, demonstration at the Cilindro de Avellaneda to protest the club’s potential demise—a date that became known as "Racing Fan Day." His third tenure began in December 2023, with Racing once again facing difficult times. The pinnacle of his managerial career came on November 23, 2024, when Racing defeated Cruzeiro E.C. in the final of the 2024 Copa Sudamericana. This victory marked Racing’s first international title in 36 years, the last being the 1988 Supercopa Sudamericana, which Costas had won as a player.