Diego Costa admits to wanting Atletico Madrid return last year

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 17 April 2017

Chelsea striker Diego Costa admits that he wanted out of Stamford Bridge at the start of the season due to frustration over the style of play in England.

Diego Costa has admitted that he was considering a return to Atletico Madrid earlier in the season, due to frustration over the style of play in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old moved to Chelsea from the Vicente Calderon in 2014 and enjoyed an impressive first campaign in England, scoring 20 goals in 26 top-flight appearances.

However, troubles at Stamford Bridge last season saw him bag only 16 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions, and on top of that, a series of bans left him feeling disillusioned with the type of football in the country.

Costa had picked up three bans in the 2015-16 campaign - one relating to an incident involving Laurent Koscielny, another for a stamp on Emre Can, and another for a clash with Gareth Barry.

"Here [in the Premier League] things happen on the pitch and who is banned for three matches? Me," Costa told Sky Sports News. "Who was banned for another three matches again? Me.

"So I'm here in London, not playing so I am at home really upset and that annoyed me every time and no matter how hard I tried I was still having problems. It's supposed to be the best league in the world but it doesn't make sense that if you touch someone or go in a bit hard you get banned for three matches.

"If those are the rules then I have to respect them. But all of this was making me want to leave the Premier League. At the beginning of the season I was angling for a move back to Atletico Madrid because I felt like I couldn't play the way I wanted to."

Costa, contracted to Chelsea until 2019, continues to be linked with a departure from Stamford Bridge, with clubs in the Chinese Super League said to be interested in the Spain international.