Costa- Ive done nothing wrong



The 26-year-old was suspended for three games for violent conduct by the FA after an independent regulatory commission on Friday ruled he deliberately stamped on the ankle of the Liverpool midfielder in Tuesday's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg

Costa says he accepts and respects the punishment, but stresses he did not set out to hurt his opponent.

"As far as what happened on Tuesday, the main thing is when I get home I can go home and I can go to sleep knowing that I've not done anything wrong, because I never meant to do that and it was not on purpose," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"And you can clearly see that on the video

But it is a suspension

I have to accept that, I have to take it

Obviously I feel sad because I'm not going to be able to help the team, to play

But I have accept it and respect it.

"I'm not saying I'm an angel

I'm no angel

You can see that

But every time I play I will play the same way because that's the way I am

That's what I need to do in order to support my family

That's my bread and butter

Also, that's what I need to do for this club and for the fans of this club, for the supporters and for all the people involved in this club.

"On the pitch I will always be like that

That's my character and I will always compete and compete - always

I'm a different guy off the pitch, as you can see, but on the pitch I will not change

And I want to say this again: you can look at the video and interpret it however you want, but I know when I get home I can sleep in peace because I know I didn't mean to do it."

Costa and Chelsea have no right to appeal, with the immediate ban meaning the forward missed Saturday evening's 1-1 draw against Manchester City and will also sit out matches against Aston Villa and Everton.

The former Atletico Madrid hitman believes the game has changed - not for the better - meaning less contact is allowed these days, but vowed not to change his style of play.

"I'm always loyal, I always go 100 per cent, I always go on the limit but I think the people that think that I am a violent player, it's because they interpret football a different way; they see it in a different way," he said

"Back in the old days there used to be way more contact and a lot of things that were permitted

These days everyone is looking at it and I don't think that is good for the game.

"I have a go at defenders and they have a go at me

We argue

Whatever happens on the pitch stays on the pitch

After the game I shake hands with the defender

Job done, I go home, he goes home

We're all mates

It's all good

That's how I see football

That's how I play football

I'm not going to change it - football is a contact sport."

Source : PA

Source: PA