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From Bad Dog To Top Dog: The Rise of Diego Costa: Victor Ferreira

Diego Costa rose from obscurity in Portugal and Spain to become a top scorer for Atletico Madrid. He struggled early in his career, wandering between clubs in Portugal and Spain's lower divisions from 2006-2009, scoring inconsistently. After a successful loan spell at Real Valladolid in 2009-2010 where he scored 8 goals, Atletico Madrid resigned him. Under manager Diego Simeone, Costa's aggressive style and scoring have flourished, as he scored 20 goals in 2012-2013 and has 17 goals already this season, cementing his status as a star player. However, his fiery temper has also caused disciplinary issues for violent conduct at times.

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91 views6 pages

From Bad Dog To Top Dog: The Rise of Diego Costa: Victor Ferreira

Diego Costa rose from obscurity in Portugal and Spain to become a top scorer for Atletico Madrid. He struggled early in his career, wandering between clubs in Portugal and Spain's lower divisions from 2006-2009, scoring inconsistently. After a successful loan spell at Real Valladolid in 2009-2010 where he scored 8 goals, Atletico Madrid resigned him. Under manager Diego Simeone, Costa's aggressive style and scoring have flourished, as he scored 20 goals in 2012-2013 and has 17 goals already this season, cementing his status as a star player. However, his fiery temper has also caused disciplinary issues for violent conduct at times.

Uploaded by

Henry Gusta Prakosa
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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From bad dog to top dog: the rise of Diego

Costa
3 December 2013
Victor Ferreira
Diego Costa may now be feared across Europe - for his goals and physicality - but there was
a time he wandered Iberia struggling to get a game. Victor Ferreira reports on the Brazilian's
faltering first steps in Europe
Diego Costa is Atletico Madrids top dog, who has won the hearts of fans and manager Diego
Simeone with his vicious play on the pitch.

The 25-year-old striker chases down every lost ball and isnt scared of making a crunching
tackle or two. His aggressive and ferocious behaviour have been likened to a pitbull terrier.
But Costa was more of a stray puppy who failed to find his footing early on in Portugal and
Spain. He went from door to door looking for a home before finding one in Simeones side.
The Spanish press often note Costas punished and scarred face. With all the battles the 25year-old endured to break out of obscurity early on, Costa can now display those scars as
trophies.

Ready to pounce: Costa has been chewing up defences for Atletico


Born in Lagarto, Sergipe in Brazil, Costa was restricted to playing football on the streets until
he was 16 when he signed for modest So Paulo side Barcelona Esportivo Capela. Superagent Jorge Mendes picked him up and convinced officials at Portuguese side SC Braga to
sign Costa to their youth academy in 2006.
Costa missed the rest of the year for bureaucratic reasons and only saw action when he was
loaned to second-division side Penafiel for the following season. Manager Rui Bento led
Penafiel at the time and had already become accustomed to seeing stars pass him by.
Bento was part of the Portuguese golden generation team featuring the likes of Luis Figo, Rui
Costa, and Joao Vieira Pinto that won the 1991 Under-20 World Cup. Bento recognised
similarities in his loanee Brazilian.

You see those kinds of players at 17 or 18 and they have exceptional quality. He wanted to be
somebody
- Rui Bento, Costas manager at Panafiel
You see those kinds of players at 17 or 18 and they have exceptional quality. Thats what
Diego Costa was like. He wanted to be somebody in football, Bento has said of his strayturned-superstar.
The two developed a close relationship during the loan period. Costa used a particular pair of
boots in all his games and training sessions; much as he would become known for never
letting a ball become lost, he wore those boots until they tore. The young loanee stressed and
worried about finding an identical pair of replacements until Bento bought them for his
striker.
Costa played in 13 games for Penafiel and scored five goals, helping the minnows finish
eighth in the Liga de Honra.
Sold to Spain - and sent back
That was enough to draw the attention of the Rojiblancos. In December 2006, Braga sold
Costa to Atletico for 1.5 million, Mendes starting a tradition of importing clients such as
Simao Sabrosa, Falcao and Tiago to the Spanish capital.
Costa stayed on loan with Braga for the remainder of the season but struggled to find a role
under manager Jorge Costa. He only managed to play in six games and was overshadowed by
striker Ze Carlos and the militant Joao Vieira Pinto.
Returning to parent club Atletico in the summer, Costa found an even more crowded forward
line with Javier Aguirre usually choosing between Simao, Sergio Aguero, Diego Forlan and
Jose Antonio Reyes. Costa was sent out on loan again, spending the following two seasons
with Celta de Vigo and Albacete.

September 2007: At Celta Vigo, celebrating a goal - but not his.


Costa didnt set the Spanish second division alight, and Atletico officials rejected him once
more in summer 2009. This time he was sold, to Real Valladolid as part of the deal that took
highly-rated young goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo to the Vicente Calderon.
Still 21 but with a wealth of experience from his travels, Costa began the season on a tear,
scoring six goals in his first 12 Primera Division games. Sadly for player and club, the form
didnt last Costa only added two more goals in the remaining 22 games, and Valladolid
were relegated but the striker had made his mark in the top flight.

GOALS AND GAMES

2006/07 Penafiel 5 in 13

2006/07 Braga 0 in 6

2007/08 Celta Vigo 6 in 30

2008/09 Albacete 10 in 35

2009/10 Real Valladolid 8 in 34

2010/11 Atletico Madrid 6 in 28

2011/12 Rayo Vallecano 10 in 16

2012/13 Atletico Madrid 10 in 31

2013/14 Atletico Madrid 15 in 15 (to Dec 1)

It was almost like dj vu. Costas play from September to December at Penafiel was enough
to convince Atletico to commit the first time; his play in the first months at Valladolid was
enough for the capital club to activate the buy-back clause in his contract.
Brought in as the primary backup to Forlan and Aguero, Costa had his share of playing time
with the Colchoneros in 2010/11, managing a solid but unspectacular six goals in 28 games in
his debut season. Then, in summer 2011, disaster: he suffered a cruciate ligament injury
which ruled him out for six months.
But pitbulls dont give up. Returning to fitness, Costa was loaned to Rayo Vallecano and
played like a man possessed, bullying markers out of challenges, snarling and attacking
opposing goals with such ferocity that you could picture drool hanging from his sharpened
teeth.
Clearly inspired, Costa buried 10 goals in 15 starts for the Franjirrojos and was called back to
Atletico. Now he was ready to show his true qualities to Atletico.
From bad dog to top dog
Recognising a player who shared his determination, Simeone unleashed the pitbull and the
striker rewarded his manager with goals. But much like the dog that spontaneously loses its
temper and begins to chase down neighbours, Costa often lost his cool in the heat of the
game.
"On the pitch I fought with everyone, I couldn't control myself, Costa said. "I insulted
everyone, I had no respect for the opposition. I thought I had to kill them."

I fought with everyone, I couldn't control myself. I insulted everyone, I had no respect for the
opposition, I thought I had to kill them
- Diego Costa
In last year's Europa League, the striker looked almost murderous when he headbutted a
Viktoria Plzen player and in the Madrid derby he continuously collided with Sergio Ramos.
Simeone stuck with his striker through the disciplinary problems and teamed him with
Radamel Falcao. While the spotlight was on Falcao and his 34 goals, his sidekick managed to
add 20 of his own.
With Falcao having departed for the riches of Monaco, Costa has continued the Colombian's
torrid goalscoring pace in 2013/14, having scored 17 goals in 17 games across all
competitions.
Hes still somewhat overaggressive on the pitch and is frequently targeted by opposing fans

but as baseball legend Reggie Jackson once put it, Fans dont boo nobodies. Costa has had
to fight with teeth and claws to become a mainstay at the Vicente Calderon and hell compete
with the same ferocity to stay there.
Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/bad-dog-top-dog-rise-diegocosta#io7Yd28IPEkyMBxE.99

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