Diego Costa says he was forced to adapt his hot-headed temperament and physical style of play because the referees in England were ‘never going to change’.
The Spain international collected ten bookings and one red card for the Blues last season, as Chelsea failed miserably to defend their Premier League title.
Under Antonio Conte, both Chelsea’s and Costa’s performances have improved ten-fold.
With 17 goals in 23 appearances so far, one more than last season’s total, Costa has played a pivotal role in the Blues’ run of 13 league wins on the bounce.
But with five yellow cards (and subsequent one-match ban) to his name at the half-way stage in the season, it’s difficult to argue that Costa’s discipline has improved by the same extent.
But Costa insists that he has been working on that side of the game, conceding that the ‘no mercy’ approach of officiating in England forced his hand.
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“Things are going well for me this season,” said Costa, according to The Times. “The team has changed not just me. Last season, we felt a frustration. We weren’t the team we should be. I wasn’t the player I should be.
“I know when I do bad, so I thought about it and knew I had to improve that aspect because, here in the Premier League, the reality is there’s no mercy, a lot of the time it seemed like [the referees were against me]. There was no other way, because if they’re not going to change, I had to change.”
