Diego Costa marked his return to Chelsea on Saturday in typical fashion, earning himself a yellow card for squaring up to Martin Škrtel in a charity friendly.
Costa, now 37 and still not technically retired, started in attack for a team of Chelsea Legends at Stamford Bridge as they took on a squad of Liverpool Legends for a fundraiser during the international break.
Liverpool ultimately won the game through a late goal from Ryan Babel, but Costa made the biggest impact by bringing his usual hot-headed approach to proceedings.
A number of clashes with Škrtel soon bubbled over when the Liverpool icon took exception to a physical challenge from Costa, who earned himself a yellow card for a reaction which made viewers forget they were watching a charity friendly game.
Costa and Škrtel have history from their days in the Premier League. The Chelsea striker was handed a three-match ban after being found guilty of stamping on the Liverpool star in 2015, months before escaping punishment for what appeared to be a kick in Škrtel’s direction.
The pair soon made up after their latest clash, however, as evidenced by an Instagram post from Costa after the final whistle.
Those who watched Costa in action for Chelsea between 2014 and 2018 will not be surprised by his latest antics. The iconic striker, who racked up 59 goals in 120 games and won two Premier League titles with the Blues, was shown a total of 32 yellow cards during his time at Stamford Bridge, somehow avoiding seeing a single straight red.
“Of course, this guy [Costa] is still the same, we saw it!” former teammate Eden Hazard, who also featured in the game, reflected.
Costa has not played competitively since being released by Grêmio in January this year. He was famously sent off during a fitness-building Under-20 friendly for an on-field fight in September 2024, but ended his spell with the club with a respectable return of eight goals in 26 games.
He has not formally retired, but whether Costa is still looking for a new club is unclear.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Still the Same’—Diego Costa Booked in Fiery Appearance for Chelsea Legends.
