Diego Costa has given his first English newspaper interview to the Daily Mail and the striker opens up about his journey from the streets of Brazil to the Premier League.
The forward addresses his ban for an alleged stamp on Emre Can and repeats that he likes the physical side of football:
‘As far as what happened on Tuesday, the main thing is when I get home and I can sleep knowing I’ve not done anything wrong, because I never meant to do that and it was not on purpose,’ he says.
‘And you can clearly see that on the video. But it is a suspension. I have to accept that, I have to take it. Obviously I feel sad because I’m not going to be able to play or to help the team. But I have to accept and respect it.
‘I’m not saying I’m an angel — I’m no angel. You can see that. But every time I play I will play the same way because that’s the way I am. That’s what I need to do in order to support my family. That’s my bread and butter; also that’s what I need to do for this club, for the fans and for all the people involved in this club.
‘On the pitch I will always be like that. That’s my character and I will always compete. I’m a different guy off the pitch — as you can see — but on it I will not change. And I want to say this again: you can look at the video and interpret it how you want but I know I can sleep in peace because I know I didn’t mean to do it.’
