The story of Diego Costa
Diego Costa's path to the top was anything but straight. Born in Lagarto, Brazil, in 1988, he joined Atlético in 2007 from Braga and spent years being loaned out: to Celta, Albacete, Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano. Many thought he would never make it at the club.
The 2013–14 season
Under Diego Simeone, everything changed. Costa became the spearhead of the side, a powerful, aggressive centre-forward who fought every defender and scored goals of every kind. In 2013–14 he scored 27 league goals as Atlético won La Liga, and he led the line on the way to the Champions League final in Lisbon, although injury limited him to a few minutes on the night. That season he also chose to play for Spain.
Back for more
After three years at Chelsea, where he won the Premier League twice, he returned to Atlético in January 2018. He started the UEFA Europa League final against Marseille in Lyon that May, and a few months later scored twice, including a goal inside the first minute, as Atlético beat Real Madrid 4–2 in the UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn.
Legacy
Costa left in December 2020. Supporters remember him as the embodiment of the Simeone spirit: never elegant for the sake of it, never backing down, and always there when the team needed a goal.
