Controversial Chelsea striker Diego Costa insisted yesterday that he did not bite the neck of Gareth Barry during his team’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Everton on Saturday.
The fiery Chelsea star was shown a second yellow card by referee Michael Oliver after 84 minutes following an altercation with the Everton midfielder in which he moved his head toward his opponent and appeared to place his mouth on his neck in an attempted bite.
However, Costa was adamant that there was no foul play after the defeat.
Photo: Reuters
“Diego spoke to club officials after the game and expressed regret over his reaction to the challenge from Gareth Barry that led to his red card, but Diego was also very clear that he did not bite him at any point during that altercation,” Chelsea said in a statement.
To add to the late drama at Goodison Park, Barry was also booked in the flashpoint and received a second yellow card of his own in the dying minutes after fouling Cesc Fabregas.
Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink refused to condemn Costa after the first sending off of his Blues career.
The Dutchman even managed to laugh off the incident, with reference to the Hollywood movie Anger Management.
“There are movies about that,” Hiddink said when asked if he would advise his player to seek counseling. “I have seen that film. Maybe we will go and watch it together. I try to be fair in my judgement and I haven’t see it [the incident] so far, but without wanting to give a judgement, he was chased a bit in the game as well.”
Any punishment will depend on referee Oliver’s report, although Hiddink repeated his often-stated position of insisting he does not want Costa to alter his combative style.
“I like him,” said Hiddink, who praised Costa for wanting to play, despite suffering injury in the last week’s UEFA Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain. “I still like he is going towards the edge, but you also have to take into consideration he desperately wanted to play today. It would have been better for him to be rested, but this was not the type of game where you rest players.”
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku said he had nothing to prove to his old club after his two spectacular late goals earned Everton the victory against his former employers.
The 22-year-old Belgium international had his path to first team soccer blocked at Stamford Bridge, moving to Goodison Park on a season-long loan before signing in a £28 million (US$39.6 million) permanent deal in the summer of 2014.
Now, with 25 goals for Everton this season, that investment by Roberto Martinez looks a sound one, although the player himself insisted that he was not motivated by any sense of revenge in facing Chelsea.
“I don’t think I have anything to prove,” Lukaku said. “Obviously, there is a bit of emotion. I went there as an 18-year-old kid, that’s where I learned my trade to be a professional footballer, but I moved on, like they did. I wish them the best for the future, but do my best for my team.”
“I think the first goal is my best of the season, but it’s just another goal,” he said. “I am just happy for the team, we really wanted to win today. If you want to win cups, you have to win against the big teams and that’s what we did today.”
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