Diego Costa may have been cast as a Premier League villain, but the Chelsea striker appeared to receive a hero’s welcome on a return to his hometown Lagarto City.
The combustible forward has angered rival players and supporters with his temperamental antics this season, which have coincided with Chelsea enduring the worst title defence in Premier League history.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque complained the striker was being ‘demonised’ in England before omitting him from his squad to play international friendlies against Italy and Romania – leaving the 28-year-old to seek home comforts back in Brazil.
Costa shared an Instagram selfie while posing with a large crowd of, presumably, friends and family making victory gestures in the background, accompanied by a caption that translates as: ‘My beloved home #lagarto city.’
Lagarto is a remote Brazilian municipality in northern Brazil with a population of around 100,000 people. Costa, who was named after legend Diego Maradona, started playing on the streets there and has since established and paid all the costs for his own academy.
Speculation mounted that Costa’s absence from Span’s squad was due to his poor disciplinary record, in a campaign which has seen him pick up 10 bookings and a red card in all competitions.
However, Del Bosque insists that the striker’s absence is merely due to a quadriceps injury, not his on-field temperament.
The former Atletico Madrid forward was sent off in Chelsea’s fiery FA Cup defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on March 12, with it suggested that he had bitten Gareth Barry in an altercation.
However, both Costa and the Toffees midfielder denied that he did so and Costa was also cleared of making an inflammatory gesture to the home fans as he left the pitch at half-time.
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