José Luis Costa (football manager)

José Luis Costa Cenzana (6 October 1909 – 26 January 1986) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Real Zaragoza and Atlético Madrid. He co-managed 12 matches of the Spanish national team between 1959 and 1960.

Playing career
Born on 6 October 1909 in Zaragoza, he was one of the co-founders of Zaragoza CD in 1925, at the age of 16, which was the result of the merger of Athletic Stadium (founded in 1919) and Zaragoza FC (founded in 1921). Together with Adolfo Álvarez-Buylla, Costa helped his side to become the finalist of the Campeonato Regional de Aragón on two occasions in 1926 and 1927, the club participated in the Copa del Rey for the first time thanks to his position as runner-up in Aragon, being eliminated in the group stage on both occasions. The team's greatest achievement was competing in the inaugural season of Spain's Segunda División in 1929.

His consistently good performance eventually drew the attention of First Division side Atlético Madrid, which signed him in 1929, but despite scoring 8 goals in 18 matches in that season, Costa was unable to avoid relegation to the Segunda División. He stayed at Atlético until 1933, when he left for the newly founded Real Zaragoza, which was the result of the merger of Zaragoza CD and Iberia SC, where he retired in 1934, at the age of 25.

Managerial career
Between 1959 and 1960, Costa was a member of the selection committee member of the Spanish national team, a triumvirate made up of himself, Ramón Gabilondo and José Lasplazas, who together oversaw a total of 12 matches, 8 wins and 4 losses. This included 10 friendly matches and two 1960 European Nations' Cup qualifying matches. He also briefly coached Spain B in 1961.

Death
Costa died on 26 January 1986, at the age of 76.