How should Chelsea fans remember divisive striker Diego Costa?
Diego Costa possesses few of the skills that make for an elite modern striker. Clumsy footwork, careless attention to accuracy, and a priority of power over pace might have sunk a lesser man. But what Costa lacks in finesse, he more than makes up for in fight. It's fitting he would claw his way out of Chelsea.
On Thursday, the Blues announced a deal that sees the 28-year-old finally return to Atletico Madrid - a move he's been pushing for since last January.
As the Spanish outfit was transfer-banned through 2017, Costa had to stay in London last year, powering the Blues to a fifth Premier League title. But once Chelsea signed Alvaro Morata, Costa became surplus to requirements, and, following a self-imposed exile, the divisive striker now leaves the supporters at Stamford Bridge with mixed feelings - what to make of Costa now?
Perhaps he was homesick. Certainly, the Brazilian-born Spain attacker had little-to-no reason to remain loyal to the city of London, and might never have joined - or stayed as long as he did - if not for the healthy contingent of fellow Spaniards and Brazilians in the squad. He did not take to learning English fluently during the three years he played at Chelsea, and made no friends of his foes on the field or in the British press due to his bull-in-a-china-shop style of play. His desire to return to Atletico Madrid isn't hard to stomach.
But perhaps Costa is indeed a traitor, a mercenary who cares only of himself. Those labels carry weight when considering the timing of his wantaway desires - pushing for a move midway through a title charge isn't putting the team first. It soured his relationship with manager Antonio Conte, who had no qualms letting Costa know he wouldn't be part of future plans at Chelsea via text message. Or so the public version of the story goes. A villain on the field, a villain off the field? It's a narrative that isn't exactly hard to sell.
However one chooses to see Costa at the eve of his departure, it's impossible to label him one or the other exclusively. Here is a player who, like Didier Drogba before him, spearheaded the attack of a two-time Premier League-winning side. His 52 goals made him one of the league's most prolific scorers, and his ability to provoke opposition players might never be replicated again. But, hot-and-cold form also saw him go for long periods without scoring.
While those accomplishments ought to secure the man his rightful legacy as an icon of Chelsea Football Club, the bitter aftertaste of this departure turned Costa from the player you love to hate into the player you hate to love.
There's no love lost by fans of teams like Liverpool and Arsenal, though, and for good reason; Costa's on-field antics were without shame. He smacked Laurent Koscielny, shoved Steven Gerrard, choked Pablo Zabaleta, stamped on Emre Can's ankle, dove for penalties, provoked fights, petitioned referees endlessly ... and got away with it all. He's never been issued a red card in the Premier League, though he's been retroactively suspended for tricking the referee into sending off Gabriel in a match Chelsea went on to win.
His furrowed brow might even make Zlatan Ibrahimovic look like a pussycat, but off the field, Diego Costa was childlike in his demeanor. You couldn't leave simple things laying around without him grabbing them and doing something silly; he would poke his teammates' rear ends with training poles, smack them with flip-flops or wooden spoons, throw bibs around, and put boxes on people's heads. He made dog noises during interviews, threatened reporters with a fire extinguisher, and pulled prank after prank on anyone around him.
Whether met with sympathy or disdain, all can agree he was entertaining.
So, how should Chelsea fans remember Diego Costa? Perhaps like an incredibly delicious meal that gave you food poisoning. It's fine to fondly recall the memory of the meal, the intricacies of its flavour and the fleeting pleasure of the moment, but it's best to avoid going back for seconds any time soon.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)