Diego Costa has confirmed that he underwent a massage using horse placenta and electroshocks to try to be fit for the 2014 Champions League final.
Former Chelsea striker confirmed he underwent the bizarre treatment in an interview with ESPN Brazil before Atletico Madrid’s Champions League final against city rivals Real Madrid.
The Atletico Madrid forward said: “The horse placenta gets spoken about a lot, people say it was a lie.
"That treatment was real, even though when they were applying the electroshocks the doctor was smoking two cigarettes.
"They were two-hour sessions. It was tough and very painful, so much that when I ran after I didn’t feel any pain.
"For me, there was nothing else at the time other than the Champions League final.”
The treatment, which involves a massage using horse placenta and electric shocks, did not fully work as Costa had to be substituted in the first 10 minutes of the final in Lisbon which Atletico lost 4-1 in extra time with a hamstring injury.
He added: “It was one of the saddest moment in my career. Just as I jumped before walking onto the pitch I felt some cramping.
"I couldn’t believe it, I tried to put up with it but I couldn’t continue and at 10 minutes I had to come off.
"I would have preferred not to play and leave space for a teammate, I had done everything throughout the season."
The comments come as Costa took a swipe at his former coach at Chelsea Antonio Conte, saying: "Antonio Conte and I had problems off the pitch, but he really is a good coach.
"I have no resentment but to be a truly important coach he has to change something in the human side of his methodology.
"He is a distrustful guy. He wouldn’t last a season at Real Madrid."
