Claim: Diego Costa plays as an athlete.

Diego da Silva Costa -LRB- -LSB- ˈdjeɣo ða ˈsilβa ˈkosta -RSB- , -LSB- ˈdʒjeɡu dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈkɔstɐ -RSB- ; born 7 October 1988 -RRB- , is a 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 . Costa has 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 his native Brazil in 2013 , but later declared his desire to represent Spain , 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 .