Diego Costa’s brilliant response to how he dealt with pressure while at Chelsea

Former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea forward Diego Costa might be long gone from the top level of football, but he certainly left his mark during his time there. Between two spells at Atletico and a couple of years at Chelsea, Costa dragged his sides to two titles, and ate up many a defender that got in his way.

Never afraid of a battle, he embodied the spirit of the first Diego Simeone title-winning side at Atletico, before making a big-money move to Chelsea. When he arrived in England he received no shortage of press and attention for his win-at-all-costs attitude. Rarely did that seem to phase him though.

Speaking on the Flow Sport Club show, former Chelsea striker and compatriot Alexandre Pato revealed that he asked him exactly how he managed to stay so relaxed in the face of it all.

“When I arrived at Chelsea, Diego Costa was there. The English media criticised him and rival fans insulted him. But he always remained calm. I asked him: How do you handle this pressure? Diego told me, ‘I don’t understand anything. I don’t speak English’.”

Costa, now 35, is currently at Gremio where he is starting a new season. After leaving Atletico Madrid, he has had spells at Atletico Mineiro, Wolves and Botafogo before arriving in Porto Alegre.