Diego Costa: I’m No Angel, And That Won’t Change
By Lou Flavius
Chelsea striker Diego Costa is currently serving a three-match ban for allegedly stamping on Liverpool’s Emre Can during the second leg of the Capital One Cup semifinal on Tuesday. Costa — who contested and lost the violent conduct charge — has admitted that he is no angel, but the stamp was accidental.
The Spanish-Brazilian sat down with Jason Burt of The Telegraph on Friday, and defended his actions. He didn’t seem inclined in any way, to change his warrior-like approach to the game.
"“As far as what happened on Tuesday, the main thing is when I get home I can go home and I can go to sleep knowing that I’ve not done anything wrong, because I never meant to do that and it was not on purpose.” .“And you can clearly see that on the video. But it is a suspension. I have to accept that, I have to take it. Obviously I feel sad because I’m not going to be able to help the team, to play. But I have accept it and respect it.”“I’m not saying I’m an angel. I’m no angel. You can see that. But every time I play I will play the same way because that’s the way I am.”” That’s what I need to do in order to support my family. That’s my bread and butter, also that’s what I need to do for this club and for the fans of this club, for the supporters and for all the people involved in this club.”-Diego CostaSource: The Telegraph"
Diego Costa – Flickr Creative Commons
Costa’s brash style of play has landed him in hot water yet again. He already served a one-game suspension earlier this season, for picking up five yellow cards.
Chelsea fans won’t mind though, their beloved forward currently leads all scorers in the Premier League this season, having scored 17 times in 19 appearances. The team — while very dependent on Costa — gets along pretty well when he isn’t able to suit up.
The Club and supporters do have a right to feel aggrieved; there was absolutely no way of knowing that Costa meant to stamp on Can unless he said it himself. The decision was purely based on the player’s history, not evidence.
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The attitude is simply a part of his game, you won’t get one attribute without the other. He will get you goals, but the skirmishes, cards and suspensions are all included.
Costa claims to be a different guy off the pitch, and many can attest to him being one of the biggest jokers at the club, but when the whistle blows, he is all business. He is the fiercest of competitors, and while he is often at the center of a brawl, his actions have never led to anyone being injured.
"“On the pitch I will always be like that. That’s my character and I will always compete and compete — always. I’m a different guy off the pitch, as you can see, but on the pitch I will not change.”“You have to see how many times have I injured someone. Never. I’ve never injured another colleague, another player on purpose. Yes, I’ve had loads of incidents maybe even more in Spain. But that’s the way I play. I’m not going to change the way I play because I got banned for a few games now.”"
Costa is the type of striker that Chelsea need, a competitive fearless leader who just wants to win football games. He is a very talented player, but his physicality and attitude are other facets which he will use to gain advantage in a match.
Chelsea will not be as threatening during their next two games, with their main man sitting out, but they do possess the depth and talent up front to hold out till the Beast returns.