During his stint in the Premier League, the former Spain international was recognised for his combative style of play.
Chelsea and Liverpool Legends competed in a charity match at Stamford Bridge, and tensions flared between two former Premier League stars.
Charity matches are typically amicable affairs held solely to raise funds for noble organisations.
On Saturday, Chelsea hosted Liverpool Legends at Stamford Bridge, with earnings benefiting the Chelsea FC Foundation and the Chelsea Players’ Trust.
Roberto Di Matteo’s team, including Petr Čech, Gary Cahill, William Gallas, John Terry, Ramires, John Obi Mikel, Claude Makélélé, Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou, Eden Hazard, and Diego Costa, started the encounter.
The visiting team, led by Ian Rush, John Aldridge, Phil Thompson, and Sammy Lee, included Pepe Reina, Ragnar Klavan, Martin Škrtel, Gregory Vignal, Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing, Igor Bišćan, Fábio Aurélio, Yossi Benayoun, Florent Sinama-Pongolle, and Ryan Babel.
The family-friendly environment was short-lived, however, when Liverpool defender Skrtel delivered a strong challenge on Costa, who swiftly rose to his feet before confronting the Slovakian.
https://x.com/Nino12x/status/1977025323549208843
On that occasion, the referee appeared to resolve the issue until Costa retaliated a short time later, slamming into the Reds player’s back after he had already played the ball.
Costa even drew a yellow card before his spat with Skrtel continued, prompting the announcer to declare, “I don’t mind this, as long as they don’t go over the edge”.
This was not the first time Skrtel and Costa had an on-field feud; in 2015, the forward narrowly avoided a red card after seeming to stamp on the defender during a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool.
The ex-Spain and Brazil international was also involved in an altercation with Martin Kelly, who opted to hit out at the Englishman following a hard challenge in the legends match.
Fans were quick to comment on Costa’s appearance on social media.
A few responded: “People don’t really change, and Diego Costa reminding us why.”
Another said, “Diego Costa will always be Diego Costa.” “There is no such thing as a friendly game for him.”
A third stated, “Diego Costa is beefing Skrtel like it’s 2015, football is back.”
The 37-year-old was one of the best Premier League strikers in his prime, helping the west London club win the league in 2014/15, 2016/17, and the 2015 League Cup.
The former attacker also spent three seasons with La Liga club Atletico Madrid before briefly returning to England with Wolves in 2022.
Costa last played for Gremio in 2024 and is now without a club.
xz
