Brazilian-born superstar striker Diego Costa has accused opponents of provoking him to foster his bad boy image in the Premier League. The striker who has made an immediate impact in England, since his arrival has scored 17 goals till date, after completing his £32m move from Atletico Madrid. Recently the Spanish international has also made the headlines for all the wrong reasons and received a three game ban for a stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can.
Costa has also been involved in some unwanted exchanges with Jordan Henderson, Everton’s Seamus Coleman and Sunderland’s John O’Shea. Despite this, the 26 year old claims that he has been on the end of some heavy challenges that would have been red-carded in Spain and believes he has been unnecessarily targeted. In an interview he said,
“Some of the kicks I suffer in England would be punished with a red card in Spain.”
“My challenges on the ball are strong but noble at the same time. If you check my records, you will find out that I’ve never caused a bad injury to any player.”
“The bottom line is that sometimes the little things I do on the pitch provoke exaggerated reactions.”
“But if you rewind a bit and go through what they did to me, you may have another point of view.”
“I consider myself a player who fights and gives everything on the pitch. Those who know me and appreciate those values understand what I say.”
“I am getting used to getting kicked more than before. Premier League defenders are really strong and physical.”
“In England, the referees don’t call many fouls, as opposed to Spanish football. Consequently, you must be really strong all through the 90 minutes.”
“I like the challenge. My life wasn’t easy, neither are my games.”
“Every time I see a good defender I cannot wait to play against him.”
“He might beat me, but I will learn from the experience.”