As part of Thibaut Courtois’ lengthy interview with Marca, published on Tuesday, his comments about Diego Costa may well be lost. That’s because Courtois talked repeatedly about a possible transfer away from Chelsea.
The goalkeeper said he wants to return to Spain and will consider a Chelsea exit as his contract runs down, and also that he could adapt his game to any new team.
That’s likely to be the overriding story, but Courtois was also asked about Diego Costa, and backed his teammate up. Costa is brilliant for Chelsea, but it can’t be denied he’s a master of the dark arts, and has a huge temper.
However, when asked about Costa and the Spanish squad, Courtois told Marca that the perception of the player is all wrong: “Diego Costa has qualities to play in the Spanish national team, what happens is that the press, both Spanish and English, give him an image that does not correspond.
“Spain has been a long time without playing with a clear reference upfront, but Diego Costa also plays looking for spaces. He can adapt perfectly to the system of Spain, and although it hurts what they say about him, he is happy to go with the squad.”
The Spanish and English press can be blamed for a lot of things, but Costa certainly is no angel portrayed as a devil. Where Courtois may have a point is how the Spanish press questioned Costa’s commitment to the national team, after he pulled out of a couple of squads with injury.
