Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa banned for eight matches

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Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has been hit with eight-match ban for insulting and grabbing referee Jesus Gil Manzano during a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona.

Costa saw red just 28 minutes into the La Liga fixture at Camp Nou on April 6.

The Spain striker had to be ushered out of the field by Gerard Pique, after initially refusing to walk.

Manzano revealed in his match report that Costa had said to him: “I sh*t on your wh*re mother”.

The Spanish Football Federation met on Wednesday to discuss what punishment to hand out and have decided that Costa must sit out eight La Liga fixtures.

He has been handed two four-game bans – one for insulting a match official and another for holding Manzano’s arm in an effort to prevent him from showing yellow cards to Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez.

Atletico have only seven more matches left this season.

Across 21 appearances, Costa managed just five goals, with only two of those coming in La Liga.

 

Samson Oyedeyi

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