Join us as we take a look at the incredible career of one of football’s biggest superstars, LV BET’s very own Brazilian brand ambassador – Douglas Costa.
Professional debut and first goal
Born September 14, 1990, Douglas Costa began his football career at just 11 years of age when he was approached by Gremio de Porto Alegre, one of the biggest teams in the south of Brazil. Impressing his coaches with his seemingly limitless potential, Costa quickly climbed the ranks of the academy while gaining a reputation as an extremely skilful player.
His debut with Gremio’s first team came about on October 10, 2008, in a Brazilian Championship encounter against Botafogo. Costa gave the fans a taste of the many great things to come by scoring a goal in his team’s 2-1 victory that day.
Success with Shakhtar Donetsk
After signing a five-year contract worth €6 million with Shakhtar Donetsk, Douglas Costa began to integrate himself into his new team. He wouldn’t need to wait too long for his first taste of the action. After a debut against Fulham in the Europa League and his first goal against Metalist Kharkiv in a tight 2-1 victory, Douglas Costa quickly established himself as one of the first names in the lineup for the Ukrainian giants.
Over his career with Shakhtar Donetsk, Douglas Costa went on to make 202 appearances, score 38 goals and provide 40 assists. During a period of unprecedented success, he would help Shakhtar secure five Ukrainian Premier League titles in a row, three Ukrainian Cups and three Ukrainian Super Cups.
First trophy
Douglas Costa’s first half-season with Shakhtar Donetsk would bring with it his first taste of silverware. His 15 appearances, five goals and two assists would help Shakhtar dominate the league and secure their then fifth Ukrainian Premier League title with 77 points.
Joining Bayern Munich
Winning two Bundesliga titles and scoring in a DFB-Pokal final.
Deciding that it was time to take the next step in his career, Douglas Costa joined German giants Bayern Munich on 1 July 2015 for a transfer fee of €30 million. Settling in immediately, the Brazilian gave Bavarian fans a taste of his talents by providing Arjen Robben with a delightful assist in his first game as a starter.
Impressing Pep Guardiola with his flair, speed, dribbling skills and crossing ability, Douglas Costa would go on to make 43 appearances in his first season, scoring seven goals and assisting 14 times.
In his two seasons playing for Bayern Munich, Douglas Costa won two Bundesliga titles and would be forever remembered for scoring the all-important winning penalty in a DFB-Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund.
Signing for Juventus
Winning three Serie A titles a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana.
In search of a new challenge, Douglas Costa joined the reigning Italian champions, Juventus, on 12 July 2017. Although initially signed on a loan contract worth €6 million for one year, the move was made permanent on 1 July 2018, for an additional €40 million fee – making him one of the most expensive Brazilians of all-time.
Proving to be worth every penny of his staggering transfer fee, Douglas Costa brought with him skilful dynamism and a renewed threat to the Juventus attacking line. His flair for creativity and consistent performances in his number 11 kit won Douglas Costa a place in the heart of the Gobbi (Juventus fans).
While playing some of his best football for three years with Juventus, Costa would help the club secure three Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana, making him a player with league titles in three different countries.
International debut and first goal for Brazil.
Douglas Costa’s first call up into the national team came about in November 2014, where he made his international debut for Brazil against Turkey in Istanbul.
Included in the 23-man squad for the 2015 Coppa America, Douglas Costa opened his goalscoring account for the Seleção in his side’s opening match against Peru, where he was brought on as a substitute and scored an emphatic stoppage-time winning goal.