Atletico Madrid Forward, Diego Costa Banned For Eight Games

Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa has been banned for eight games after being found guilty of insulting a referee.

The Spanish forward, was sent off by official Jesus Gil Manzano during Atletico’s 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in La Liga.

Manzano said in his match report that the former Chelsea forward had “insulted his mother”, a claim the forward denied.

The Spanish Football Federation’s ban rules him out of Atletico Madrid’s remaining League fixtures this season.

 

Diego Costa, who can appeal against the ban, received a four game suspension for insults to the referee and a further four for grabbing the official’s arm.

“I asked the referee and he told me Costa said something to him,” Atletico Madrid Manager Diego Simeone said after the game.

“Other players have said things and not been sent off but that does not justify what Costa did.”