Diego Costa

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This article is about the Spanish-Brazilian football striker. For other people with similar name, see Diego Costa (disambiguation).
This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Da Silva and the second or paternal family name is Costa.
Diego Costa

Costa playing for Atlético Madrid in 2013
Personal information
Full nameDiego da Silva Costa
Date of birth (1988-10-07) 7 October 1988
Place of birthLagarto, Brazil
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current clubAtlético Madrid
Number19
Youth career
2004–2006Barcelona EP
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006Braga0(0)
2006→ Penafiel (loan)13(5)
2007–2009Atlético Madrid0(0)
2007→ Braga (loan)7(0)
2007–2008→ Celta (loan)30(5)
2008–2009→ Albacete (loan)35(9)
2009–2010Valladolid34(7)
2010–Atlético Madrid81(36)
2012→ Rayo Vallecano (loan)16(9)
National team‡
2013Brazil2(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:33, 2 February 2014 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2013

Diego da Silva Costa (Spanish: [ˈdjeɣo ða ˈsilβa ˈkosta], Portuguese: [ˈdʒjegu dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈkɔstɐ]; born 7 October 1988), commonly known as Diego Costa, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in La Liga, as a striker.

He never played professionally in his country, starting with Braga in Portugal. He signed in 2007 with Atlético Madrid, being loaned to Celta, Albacete and sold to Valladolid also in Spain before returning three years later and becoming a key attacking figure.

Internationally, Costa played twice with Brazil in 2013, but later declared his desire to represent Spain, having been granted Spanish citizenship in September of 2013.

Club career

Portugal / Atlético Madrid

Born in Lagarto, Sergipe, Costa started his career at Barcelona Esportivo Capela in São Paulo, being limited to street football until the age of 16.[1] His first professional adventure was in Portugal as he signed in February 2006 with S.C. Braga,[2] after which he spent the following months with the club's reserves.

In the 2006 summer Costa was loaned to F.C. Penafiel, in the second division.[3] In December, however, he was sold to Spain's Atlético Madrid, for €1.5 million and 50% of the player's rights.[4] He remained on loan at Braga until the end of the season, scoring his first goal for the club in the UEFA Cup, a 1–0 win at Parma FC (2–0 on aggregate); for the following two years he would be again loaned, on both occasions to second level outfits, starting with Celta de Vigo then with Albacete Balompié, appearing and scoring regularly.[5]

Valladolid

On 8 July 2009 Costa was sold to Real Valladolid as part of the deal that sent goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo in the opposite direction, with the transfer including a buy-back option that could be activated by Atlético at the end of the season.[6]

He started strong for the Castile and León side, scoring six times in his first 12 games,[7] but only found the net once in the following 5 ½ months as the campaign eventually ended in relegation from La Liga.

Return to Atlético

In June 2010 Costa returned to the Colchoneros, initially as a backup to Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán – Atlético also paid an undisclosed sum to Braga to buy all the residual 30% economic rights (the former also had to pay an exceed of €833,000 in agent's fees to Gestifute[8]). On 26 September, benefitting from injury to the Argentine (who was sitting on the substitutes bench), he scored the game's only goal at home against Real Zaragoza.[9] On 3 April of the following year, already as a starter after manager Quique Flores demoted the Uruguayan from his position, he netted all of his team's goals in a 3–2 win at CA Osasuna.[10]

In late July 2011, during Atlético's preseason, Costa suffered a serious knee injury, going on to miss the majority of the season.[11] On 23 January 2012 he was loaned to fellow league club Rayo Vallecano, until June;[12] he scored four goals in his first three appearances, namely twice in a 5–3 away win against Levante UD.[13]

During December 2012, Costa was involved in several field altercations in two separate matches, starting in a 0–2 local derby loss against Real Madrid where he avoided disciplinary action, and being sent off in the following game at FC Viktoria Plzeň, for the season's Europa League (0–1 defeat, he eventually was handed a four-match ban by UEFA[14]).[15][16] This, however, did not deter coach Diego Simeone from continuing to start him, and he responded by netting three goals in two home contests, against Deportivo de La Coruña in the league (6–0)[17] and Getafe CF in the campaign's Copa del Rey (3–0).[18]

After the Spanish Cup semifinals against Sevilla FC, Costa took his goal tally in the competition to seven in as many matches,[19] having scored three times in the tie: in the first leg he netted two penalties (2–1)[20] and, in the second at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, scored one after an individual effort and assisted Radamel Falcao in the other, also being involved in situations which resulted in two opponent players – Gary Medel and Geoffrey Kondogbia – receiving their marching orders in the 2–2 draw.[21]

Costa scored Atlético's equalizing goal in the domestic cup final clash against city-rivals Real Madrid on 17 May 2013,[22] contributing to the 2–1 win – the first in 25 games in a streak stretching back to 1999 – and the tenth win in the tournament, confirmed by Miranda's extra time header. Thus, he became the topscorer of the tournament with eight successful strikes, one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.[23]

In the beginning of August 2013 Costa was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, who allegedly matched his release clause of €25 million and offered him three times his salary at Atlético.[24] However, he chose to stay at the club and renewed his contract until 2018, while also doubling his wages;[25] he celebrated this a few days later in the first match of the new season, scoring a brace in a 3–1 win at Sevilla.[26]

On 24 September Costa netted both goals in a 2–1 home triumph over Osasuna, to help his team stay level on points with league leaders FC Barcelona through six games.[27] Four days later, in the Madrid derby, he scored the only goal of the game to record a second win over Real at the Santiago Bernabéu in under five months.[28]

On 22 October 2013 Costa marked his UEFA Champions League debut with two goals against FK Austria Wien, the first coming after a fine individual effort in an eventual 3–0 group stage away win.[29]

International career

On 5 March 2013, Costa was called up by Brazilian national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for friendlies with Italy in Geneva and Russia in London, both taking place late in that month.[30] He made his debut in the first match, replacing Fred midway through the second half of the 2–2 draw.[31]

In September 2013, the Royal Spanish Football Federation made an official request to FIFA for permission to call up Costa for the Spanish national team.[32] He had been granted Spanish nationality earlier in the summer.[33]

On 29 October 2013 Costa declared that he wished to play international football for Spain, sending a letter to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).[34] Following the news, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari commented: "A Brazilian player who refuses to wear the shirt of the Brazilian national team and compete in a World Cup in your country is automatically withdrawn. He is turning his back on a dream of millions, to represent our national team, the five-time champions in a World Cup in Brazil."[35]

The Brazilian Football Confederation judicial director, Carlos Eugênio Lopes, said "It's obvious that the reason he made that choice was financial. The chairman [of the CBF, José Maria Marin] authorised me to open a legal action at the Justice Ministry requesting that he loses his Brazilian citizenship, which Diego Costa has rejected... The chairman told me that Costa has proved he's not fit to be part of the Scolari family, that he would contaminate the family because he's not committed to Brazil, but to Spain. He rejected his Brazilian citizenship. Marin has asked me to study the situation deeply in order to keep him from ever playing for Spain. He told me that, from now on, Costa is 'persona non grata' at the national team and that the players themselves wouldn't welcome him because of that episode".[36]

Sponsorship

Adidas announced in early February 2014 that they had secured a sponsorship deal with Diego Costa, taking him from rivals Nike five months before the start of the World Cup in Brazil.[37] Costa debuted his new adidas F50 adiZero IV boots in a La Liga match against Sevilla on 19 January 2014.[38]

Honours

Club

Atlético Madrid

Individual

Club statistics

As of match played 2 February 2014[39]
Club Season Domestic League Domestic Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Penafiel 2006–07 135––00135
Braga 2006–07 70––2191
Celta 2007–08 30500––305
Albacete 2008–09 35900––359
Valladolid 2009–10 34721––368
Atlético Madrid 2010–11 2865161398
2011–12 00000000
Rayo Vallecano 1690000169
Atlético Madrid 2012–13 311088524420
2013–14 222041342925
Total 21371191116824791

References

  1. ↑ "A Primera desde la calle" [Diego Costa: To Primera from the streets] (in Spanish). El País. 23 January 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010. 
  2. ↑ "Relatório de transferências internacionais" [International transfers report] (in Portuguese). Brazilian FA. 22 January 2007. 
  3. ↑ "Diego voltou para ficar" [Diego came back to stay] (in Portuguese). Record. 7 January 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2013. 
  4. ↑ "SC Braga – Futebol, SAD – Annual report and financial statements for 2006/2007" (in Portuguese). CMVM. 15 August 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2010. 
  5. ↑ "Los goles de Costa dan doce puntos" [Costa goals give twelve points] (in Spanish). La Verdad. 23 December 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2013. 
  6. ↑ Asenjo ya es el nuevo portero del Atlético (Asenjo new Atlético goalkeeper); Diario AS, 8 July 2009 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ "El Tenerife se sacude en Zorrilla el 'sindrome del visitante'" [Tenerife shakes off 'visitor's syndrome' in Zorrilla] (in Spanish). Marca. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2013. 
  8. ↑ "SC Braga – Futebol, SAD Relatórios e Contas 2010–11" [SC Braga (football section) financial report and accounts 2010–11] (in Portuguese). Braga's official website. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2012. 
  9. ↑ "Atletico edge past rock-bottom Zaragoza". ESPN Soccernet. 26 September 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  10. ↑ "Diego Costa treble seals Atletico triumph". ESPN Soccernet. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  11. ↑ "Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa to miss six months with cruciate ligament injury". Goal.com. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011. 
  12. ↑ "Diego Costa se marcha cedido al Rayo Vallecano" [Diego Costa goes to Rayo Vallecano on loan] (in Spanish). Marca. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Bangoura and Costa inspire Rayo". ESPN Soccernet. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2012. 
  14. ↑ "La UEFA castiga con cuatro partidos a Diego Costa" [UEFA punishes Diego Costa with four games] (in Spanish). Marca. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012. 
  15. ↑ "Sergio Ramos escupió primero a Diego Costa" [Sergio Ramos spat on Diego Costa first] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 2 December 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012. 
  16. ↑ "Plzeň pip Atlético to take top spot". UEFA.com. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012. 
  17. ↑ "Five-star show from Falcao". ESPN Soccernet. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012. 
  18. ↑ "Él Atlético sí quiere la Copa" [Atlético does want Cup] (in Spanish). Marca. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012. 
  19. ↑ "Diego Costa y Cristiano Ronaldo pelearán por el Pichichi copero" [Diego Costa and Cristiano Ronaldo to fight for cup Pichichi] (in Spanish). Marca. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013. 
  20. ↑ "Once metros más cerca de la final" [Eleven meters closer to the final] (in Spanish). Marca. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013. 
  21. ↑ "El Atlético acepta el reto" [Atlético accepts challenge] (in Spanish). Marca. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013. 
  22. ↑ "Ronaldo red as Atletico win the Cup". ESPN FC. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013. 
  23. ↑ "Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo off in Real Madrid loss". BBC Sport. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013. 
  24. ↑ "El Liverpool triplica el sueldo a Diego Costa" [Liverpool triples Diego Costa salary] (in Spanish). Marca. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013. 
  25. ↑ "Diego Costa renueva con el Atlético de Madrid hasta 2018" [Diego Costa renews with Atlético de Madrid until 2018] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013. 
  26. ↑ "Diego Costa ruge como un tigre" [Diego Costa roars like a tiger] (in Spanish). Marca. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013. 
  27. ↑ "Costa brace keeps Atletico perfect". ESPN FC. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 
  28. ↑ "Costa goal wins Madrid derby". ESPN FC. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 
  29. ↑ "Imperious Atlético cruise to victory in Vienna". UEFA.com. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013. 
  30. ↑ "Felipão chama Kaká e Diego Costa. Ronaldinho fica fora de amistosos" [Felipão calls Kaká and Diego Costa. Ronaldinho out of friendlies] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013. 
  31. ↑ "Italy 2–2 Brazil: Balotelli beauty ensures Swiss spectacular ends all-square". Goal.com. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013. 
  32. ↑ "La FEF ya negocia la llamada de Diego Costa a la Selección" [FEF in negotiations to call Diego Costa to national team] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013. 
  33. ↑ "Diego Costa granted citizenship". Football España. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013. 
  34. ↑ "Diego Costa: Brazil-born striker commits to Spain". BBC Sport. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013. 
  35. ↑ "Diego Costa snubs call up from home country Brazil to represent Spain". Inside World Soccer. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013. 
  36. ↑ "CBF demands Diego Costa loses Brazilian citizenship". Goal.com. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014. 
  37. ↑ "adidas confirm Diego Costa signing". FootballBoots.co.uk. 05 February 2014. Retrieved 05 February 2014. 
  38. ↑ "F50 adiZero IV boots". FootballBoots.co.uk. 19 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014. 
  39. ↑ Diego Costa at ESPN FC

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diego Costa.
Atlético Madrid – current squad
Copa del Rey top scorers
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