Diego Costa’s Chelsea Legacy
A confusing dichotomy of goals, championships, tantrums, red cards and unpredictability.
Diego Costa has officially been moved out of Chelsea FC. The move is bitter sweet, but mostly sweet given the ridiculous summer Chelsea and Costa just went through. Costa has been at Chelsea since I became a Chelsea fan. In 2014 we both began our journeys with the club. Me as a fan living in the United States, and Costa as the menacing striker that would become one of the best in Chelsea’s history. So let’s look at his confusing and wonderful Chelsea legacy.
On July 1, 2014 Chelsea announced that they had met the £32 million buy-out clause in Diego Costa’s contract from Atlético Madrid. The signing completed two weeks later and Costa signed a five-year contract. Upon the move Costa seemed excited to be joining the club.
“I am very happy to sign for Chelsea. Everybody knows it is a big club in a very competitive league, and I am very excited to get started in England with a fantastic coach and team-mates. Having played against Chelsea last season I know the high quality of the squad I am joining”.
Thus began the three year Diego Costa era at Chelsea. Two Premier League championships, 52 goals, 30 yellow cards, and 1 red card later we say goodbye to Diego. His transfer back to Atlético Madrid gives us a chance to look back on and appreciate the enjoyable and fascinating era of Diego Costa.
Since arriving at Chelsea Costa was a mixed bag of goals, championships, tantrums, and emotions that have defined a wonderfully confusing era at Chelsea. For me, he’ll be remembered by all of these things but overall I’ll remember him fondly. He was my tumultuous and erratic striker.
The tough grit of his Brazilian street soccer style of play culminated in this beautiful mess of goal scoring and emotion. Diego was high risk, high reward most games. But it was mostly reward in his three seasons at Chelsea. Costa played a key role in winning two Premier League championships in his time at Chelsea.
He was a menace for opposing team’s defensive cores. The life for an opposing defender against Costa was incredibly unenjoyable for 90 minutes. The strength and tenacity of Costa in the box made it difficult to keep him off the ball. His threat on balls bouncing near and around the goalie made marking him almost impossible.
One of the marks of Diego were the hot and cold streaks that he went on throughout his time at Chelsea. In his first season at Chelsea he was on fire in the first half of the season, and then was cold for a year and half before dominating for stretches once again last year.
His attitude was also hot and cold depending upon the day. There were stretches were Costa’s behavior bordered on angelic. Then there was the shoving, flopping, and general ugliness that presided over his time at Chelsea. All of this was apart of his general makeup, and you had to take him for what it got you. Sometimes it would get you a red card from the other side, and sometimes it would get Costa sent off. One result was technically a positive for Chelsea, and the other obviously negative. But each was exhausting to root for.
Sure I’ll remember Costa for all of the goals and tantrums. But right alongside those, and even more important, is that he’ll be remembered as a champion in his time at Chelsea. Something no one can ever take away from him.
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