Diego Costa is of the opinion that he is treated different by the press as he is not a ‘natural Spaniard’. The Chelsea forward is Brazilian by birth but has opted to represent the Spanish national side.
Costa has failed to reach the heights for Spain that he has with Atletico Madrid and Chelsea. With only one goal in ten caps for La Furia Roja, the 27-year-old has come under tremendous scrutiny for his below-par performances for the national side.
The Chelsea striker was named as a substitute in Spain’s friendly game against Belgian in Brussels on Wednesday. He came on in the first-half of the game and put in a spirited performance to guide his side to a 2-0 victory in Roberto Martinez’s first game as Belgium boss.
However, after the match, Costa took a jab at the Spanish reporters in the mix-zone. According to Adam Crafton of Mail Online, the Spain international said: “Yourselves, the journalists, you should assess my performance in this friendly but I felt I did well.
“If I was at Real Madrid or Barca, you would be saying that I had a great game but as I am not a natural Spaniard, people always criticise me in a special way.
“I won’t change, even if I’m criticised. It’s true that I’m wrong sometimes but I don’t need anyone to tell me. I can do self-criticism. My team-mates trust me.’
Costa’s Premier League season however, has got off to an incredible start. The striker has scored twice and provided an assist in the Blues’ three league games this season and has been instrumental in guiding his side to the top of the league standings.
He also showered tremendous praise on new manager Antonio Conte.
“He is doing a great job. He has begun very strong and winning games in the Premier League gives me confidence,” Costa said of Conte.
Diego Costa’s next game for his national side when they take on Liechentstein in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier on the 5th of September. After his international commitments, Costa will fly to Wales as Chelsea visit the Liberty Stadium to take on Swansea City.
