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Diego da Silva Costa (, ; born 7 October 1988),〔〔 is a Brazil-born Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for English club Chelsea and the Spain national team. He has been described by pundits as a talented striker whose main attributes are his physicality, goalscoring and ability to keep possession,〔〔 however he has also been criticised and punished for several confrontations with opponents.〔〔 He began his career with Braga and Penafiel in Portugal, and was signed by Atlético Madrid in 2007. He was loaned back to Braga, and then to Celta de Vigo and Albacete before being sold to Real Valladolid in 2009. He returned to Atlético the following season and went on to play a key role in their attack, scoring 27 goals as they won the league title in 2014, and then joined Chelsea for £32 million. He scored 21 goals in his first season in England, winning the Premier League and League Cup. Internationally, Costa played twice for in 2013, but later declared his desire to represent , having been granted Spanish citizenship in September 2013. He made his debut for his adopted nation in March 2014, and represented them at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. ==Early life== Costa was born in Lagarto, Sergipe, Brazil, to parents José de Jesus and Josileide. His father named him in honour of Argentine footballer Diego Maradona despite the rivalry between the two nations, and he has an elder brother named Jair after Brazilian player Jairzinho.〔 Despite regularly playing street football, Costa did not believe as a child that he would turn professional, in part due to the remote location of his hometown.〔 He has since set up a football academy in his hometown, where he pays all the costs. Costa is a fan of Palmeiras. Costa trialled unsuccessfully at his hometown team Atlético Clube Lagartense. At age 15, he left Sergipe and moved to São Paulo, to work in the store of his uncle Jarminho.〔 Although he was never a professional, Jarminho had connections in football and recommended his nephew to Barcelona Esportiva Capela, a team from Ibiúna in the south of the city set up as an alternative to drugs and gangs for youth of the ''favelas''.〔 Before joining this team, he had never been coached in football.〔 He turned professional at the club, earning around £100 per month,〔 and competed in the under-18 Taça de São Paulo despite a four-month ban for slapping an opponent and dissent towards the referee. Although he was sent off in the first game of the tournament, he attracted the attention of renowned Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes, who offered him a contract at Braga. Costa's father was apprehensive of sending his son to Europe, and suggested he instead sign for nearby Associação Desportiva São Caetano, but he was adamant that he would take the opportunity. Jair played on the same team as Diego, and was a slimmer, more technically able player, but had less focus; the two were often not fielded at the same time in order to prevent arguments. He never turned professional, but had a three-month trial at Basque club Salvatierra.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Diego Costa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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