Diego Costa has had his two-match ban extended to three games by an independent regulatory commission after admitting a charge of improper conduct over the manner of his departure from the pitch following his red card at Everton.
The forward was shown two yellow cards by the referee, Michael Oliver, during the FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Goodison Park. The second caution came for a clash with Gareth Barry six minutes from time and, having appeared to make his peace with the Everton midfielder, Costa was outraged to be dismissed for the first time in his Chelsea career.
His reluctance to leave the pitch, and reaction at the referee’s decision, has earned him a further ban, a £20,000 fine and a warning as to his future conduct.
Costa is serving the second game of his original two-match suspension at Aston Villa on Saturday having incurred a one-game ban for the red card and a further match given it was effectively his second red card offence of the season following retrospective sanction over a clash with Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel in September.
The striker will now also sit out the match at Swansea City on 9 April. Costa was found to have no case to answer over suggestions he had bitten Barry, or made an inappropriate gesture towards Everton supporters.
