Why Diego Costa Chose to Play for the Wrong Country

Diego Costa- Did he choose the wrong country? [Image by: Carlos Delgado]

What do you think of when you see the name 'Diego Costa' on a teamsheet? Chelsea fans, and formerly Atletico Madrid fans, would rejoice at this occasion. The opposition's fans - not so much. That is because Costa is one hell of a striker, as he is already proving in the Premier League. Before the world cup, there was lots of controversy surrounding the Chelsea talisman, and that was due to the fact that he chose to play for the Spanish national side rather than the Brazilian side. Many expected him to light up the campaign for the former holders Spain, as the only missing piece in their jigsaw masterpiece was a lethal striker. However, that was definitely not the case. Costa chose to play for the wrong team, for reasons unknown.

There have been numerous theories as to why Costa opted for Spain rather than Brazil. Some believe that he was loyal to the country where his footballing career 'started', whereas others just think that he wanted the fame associated with the former World Cup and the current Euro cup holders. Whatever the reason might be, though, one thing is for certain: as the way things look right now, Costa definitely made the wrong decision.

Brazil are a team known for the extravagant, free-flowing football. To some extent, we saw this under Scolari at the world cup, and might see this under Dunga as well. Although the team is managed by someone who I would not class as on par with the likes of Loew or del Bosque, Brazil is a team made up of remarkable individual talent, similar to Spain, but contrasting styles of play.

Costa would have been much more suited to the way the Brazilians play, than he seems with the Spanish style of possession-based football.

Costa is a striker who excels in a team which plays direct, counter-attacking football. That is why he was so good at Atletico, and this is why he is impressing so much at Chelsea. In the Spanish system, where everything must be built up beautifully after stringing up a hundred passes in between, Costa seems uncomfortable.

Brazil's flaw in the World Cup was the absence of a lethal striker, something which they have always had in the past with the likes of Ronaldo, Pele and Robinho. If Costa opted for Brazil rather than Spain, who knows, maybe their fortunes would have turned. Also, I am sure that Costa would not be missing the quality of players around him, and he probably would have enjoyed working alongside Neymar.