RUI COSTA'S VIOLA SADNESS
MILAN star Rui Costa admits he thought Fiorentina would be his last club, and still feels affection for La Viola.
Although content with life with the Rossoneri, the talented schemer feels a tinge of sadness at seeing his former club languish towards the foot of the Serie A table.
The Portuguese international, looking forward to parading his talents at the 2002 World Cup, also admits the best player in his position is Real Madrid ace Zinedine Zidane.
"It is true that each time I love a team, I have to leave them," he told planetfootball.com.
"I begin to think it is me who brings the bad luck! Joking aside, I always become involved in the teams I play for, and I was so sure that Fiorentina would be the last one in my career.
"But the club made the wrong decisions. At the begining, the president Vittorio Cecchi Gori was very close to the team then, in the last few years, he started to stay too far away, even from the players.
"It is quite normal what has happened. We knew the situation was a hard one, but not to this level.
"I certainly do not hate Fiorentina a little bit after all what has happened."
Rui Costa admits missing Gabriel Batistuta, who quit Artemio Franchi for Roma, whom he helped lift the Scudetto.
"For one part, I was happy I had more responsibilities," he revealed. "I was the captain and I won the Coppa Italia as captain.
"But, at the same time, I missed Batistuta a lot.
"He was a very big friend to us - me and my wife.
"Just think that two years ago, when my wife lost a baby, he scored two goals and dedicated them to us. Wonderful."
As regards the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea, the 29-year-old is full of praise for his Portugal colleagues.
"We are the best generation ever," he smiled. "We played at two European Championships, and one World Cup, in six years. It never happened before.
"It is our golden generation. The same players who won the Under-21 World Championship.
"Eusebio is our image man - he is always near the national team. Before this, he was the same for Benfica.
"Just think, when I was chosen, from 500 boys, it was him who immediately said I had the qualities to play for Benfica.
"One day, he sent me to the dressing room because I said 's**t'. I felt so ashamed, I did not even have the courage to tell this to my father - he only knew about it when I wrote my autobiography."
And is Rui Costa the best playmaker in the business?
"No, it is still Zidane," he answered, honestly.
