Chelsea’s Diego Costa will serve a three-match suspension after being found guilty of violent conduct. The FA had charged Costa two days ago after his stamp on Emre Can in the Capital One semi-final against Liverpool.
The ban will mean that Costa will miss Chelsea’s all important game against Manchester City at home tomorrow. The FA’s statement read, “Diego Costa will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after a charge of violent conduct against him was found proven by an Independent Regulatory Commission on Friday 30 January 2015.
“The Chelsea forward had denied the charge in relation to an on-field incident involving Liverpool’s Emre Can which occurred in the 12th minute of the League Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 27 January 2015.
“The incident was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.”
Jose Mourinho had commented on the incident after the game and had termed it as ‘accidental’ as Costa wasn’t looking at his opponent. Mourinho was quoted saying after the game, “Maybe you [the media] are already influenced by the campaign on the television with certain pundits saying that Costa has crimes – they must be nuts, the guy who says that.
“I have to say that he goes for the ball, he chases it, the opponent [Can] goes to the floor and he puts his foot there when he is looking at the ball… What you call stamps, and Sky calls crimes, I have to say accidental.”
The suspension will hold good until February 12th and in that period Chelsea face Manchester City, Aston Villa and Everton. Although they possess enough firepower in their team, Costa’s presence has been a key factor in the big games so far. In addition, the Spaniard had scored four goals in his last three Premier League games. He is the side’s leading goalscorer with 17 goals; nine more than Chelsea’s second highest goalscorer Eden Hazard.
Diego Costa’s suspension will be alarming for Chelsea as prior to it he had picked up seven yellow cards in 19 Premier League appearances. In addition to that, his aggressiveness on the pitch when dealing with opponents has often gone beyond the line. Costa’s last game against Liverpool showed that the 26-year old isn’t shy of getting into an altercation with anyone as he was seen exchanging words with Emre Can, Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard in the game. Considering the magnitude of the games coming up for Chelsea, Costa will have to more well behaved on the pitch if he wants to help his side win silverware this season.