Diego Costa was born and raised in Brazil and played two friendlies for them in 2013 before opting to represent the Spanish national team.
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Diego Costa joins Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro on a free transfer. The former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea striker was without a club for the last eight months after he asked Atletico Madrid to terminate his contract early because of personal reasons mid-way through the 2020-21 season. The 32-year-old wasn’t having the best of times in Spain since rejoining them from Chelsea. He made just 43 league starts in three years, mostly due to injuries. The 32-year-old’s new contract will keep him at the Brazilian club until December 2022.
The Spain striker was born and raised in Brazil and played two friendlies for them in 2013 before opting to represent the Spanish national team after being granted the Spanish nationality later that year. However he has now decided to return to his country of birth after a 16-year career in European football.
Atletico Mineiro confirmed the striker’s arrival in a statement on their website, which reads: “Diego Costa is a Galo player.
“The athletic board and the player reached an agreement today. Galo will be his first club as a professional athlete in Brazil.”
Costa won two Premier League titles during his three year stint with Chelsea. He scored 59 goals in 120 appearances for the Blues. But his spell in England didn’t end well.
He fell out with then-manager Antonio Conte and then refused to return to Chelsea after being told to train with the reserves.
He was then sold back to Atletico Madrid in January 2018 on a three-and-a-half-year contract. But the big striker left Wanda Metroplitano six months before the end of contract.
He won five titles with Atletico Madrid before joining Chelsea, that includes La Liga title and Copa del Rey. And in his second stint in Spain, he won Europa League and UEFA Super Cup honours.
He also received a La Liga winners medal for scoring twice in seven appearances for the club last season.
Atletico Mineiro are comfortably placed on top of Brazil’s Serie A with a five point cushion. Therefore Costa’s primary goal would be to help his new team win the league title and fight for Copa Libertadores glory.
Costa is a proven goal scorer who has a very impressive CV. He would be hoping to rejuvenate himself in his home soil.
