Diego Costa, calls self strong but noble tackler

Diego Costa will be making a return to Chelsea’s line up next week in the UEFA Champions League second round clash against PSG.

The Spaniard who would have served the three-match ban placed on him for stamping on Liverpool’s Emre Can has defended his hard tackles, claiming that they are but in fact noble.

Costa spoke to Sport Magazine where he features in the front cover

'If you check my records, you will find out that I’ve never caused a bad injury to any player. The bottom line is that sometimes the little things I do on the pitch provoke exaggerated reactions.

'But if you rewind a bit and go through what they did to me, you may have another point of view.

'I consider myself a player who fights and gives everything on the pitch. Those who know me and appreciate those values understand what I say.

'I am getting used to getting kicked more than before. Premier League defenders are really strong and physical.

'In England, the referees don’t call many fouls, as opposed to Spanish football. Consequently, you must be really strong all through the 90 minutes.

'Some of the kicks I suffer in England would be punished with a red card in Spain. My challenges on the ball are strong but noble at the same time.’

The 26 year-old praised the coaching technique of Blues boss Jose Mourinho as the best in the world.

'We all know that he’s among the best managers in the world. When you arrive in a team with a manager like him, you try to spot every single thing you can learn from him.

'Every manager has a different way of reading the game. In regards to Jose Mourinho, he is a clever manager who spots very well the opponent’s virtues and weaknesses. Our training sessions are based on that.'