Chelsea striker Diego Costa is probably the most hated man in international football right now. Or to put it in more PR friendly terms, “he’s a very polarizing figure.” Just hours ago, the Football Association announced that Costa will be charged with “an alleged act of violent conduct.”
You can take a look at footage of Costa’s malfeasance at this link. Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho defended Costa’s actions, as you might expect, even declaring him the real “man of the match on Saturday.”
However, one of Costa’s current teammates told beIN Sports that the striker “likes to cheat a lot,” before then kind of walking back his comments on his verified Twitter account.
Chelsea Defender Kurt Zouma said to beIN Sports:
“No, we’re not surprised because we know Diego. Everyone knows Diego and this guy likes to cheat a lot and put the opponent out of his game.
“That happened in the game but he’s a really nice guy. We’re proud to have him, like the other players, and we’re happy to win this game today.”
Zouma then hedged against this commentary by Tweeting on his verified official account:
Sorry for any confusion, English is not my first language & I did not mean to accuse anyone of cheating. Simply to say ….
— Kurt Zouma (@KurtZouma) September 21, 2015
….Diego is a player who puts pressure on his opponents & who I have huge respect for.
— Kurt Zouma (@KurtZouma) September 21, 2015
Diego Costa is one of the biggest trending topics in the international football world right now, and has been since Saturday. Controversy moves the needle so I wouldn’t expect that to change over the next 48 hours either. This story is not going away any time soon.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.