Costinha’s first sit-down as a Brighton & Hove Albion player has given Fabian Hurzeler’s right-back picture another important layer before pre-season accelerates.
Brighton confirmed that the 26-year-old defender has joined from Olympiacos on a five-year contract running until June 2031, subject to international clearance and the usual regulatory approvals. The club’s latest video interview now puts the player directly in front of supporters as he starts explaining his move to the Amex.
Hurzeler Gets Fresh Right-Back Competition
The timing matters because Brighton’s squad planning has already leaned heavily into defensive change. ReadBrighton has covered how Albion’s net-spend position gives Hurzeler room to keep reshaping the back line, and Costinha gives that rebuild a specialist right-sided option.
Hurzeler’s public explanation was direct: Brighton had tracked Costinha closely and valued his intensity, defensive qualities and comfort in possession. That profile fits a side preparing for Premier League demands alongside European football, where right-back depth is not a luxury.
FotMob noted that Costinha made 49 league appearances for Olympiacos and also featured in their Champions League campaign, giving Brighton a player with recent continental exposure rather than a pure development punt.
For Albion, the key question is how quickly that experience translates. Costinha does not arrive as the headline act of the summer, but his interview underlines a signing with a very obvious tactical purpose: raise the floor at right-back and force genuine competition from day one.
