Without accepting that he has been one of the most dirty players in recent football history, Diego Costa loves a good challenge, especially when he has world class defenders in front of him. Back on his Atletico Madrid days, Diego Costa had the most fun playing against Real Madrid and he enjoyed the rivalry against everybody in Los Blancos. He had some interesting disputes against everyone, but the players he loved picking on the most were the centre backs of course.
Talking to Sport TV, Costa recalled that: "I used to love the games against Real Madrid and the chance to face Pepe and Ramos. It was a good battle, where we always had trouble and sparks were flying. I can guarantee that they used to love them for the same reasons! We went out on the pitch knowing that they would be intense games but the important thing was that there was loyalty. They went out hard, I did too, but without being disloyal.
"And the games against them always had friction: some sort of insult, some kicking. But after the end of the game, we would always greet each other without any problems. Now, with Ramos, we're team-mates with the national team and we're always joking that I can't do it anymore."
Photo credit: Diego Costa