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Chelsea star Diego Costa: My three-match ban is WRONG!
CHELSEA star Diego Costa believes that he did nothing wrong to warrant a three-match ban following his alleged stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can.
Newspaper Review – Saturday 31 January
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Costa believes that he did not purposely tread on the defender's outstretched ankle during the Capital One Cup semi-final victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Video footage showed the Spain striker making contact with Can, but the incident was not seen by the referee.
However, a disciplinary panel found Costa guilty of stamping, hitting the Premier League's top goalscorer with a three-game ban.
Costa watched from the sidelines as Jose Mourinho's men drew 1-1 with Manchester City, keeping their five-point lead at the top intact.
And with two more games to serve, Costa feels that there has been an over-reaction to the incident.
Diego Costa believes that he did not make contact with Emre Can on purpose
The main thing is when I get home and I can sleep knowing I’ve not done anything wrong
He said: "As far as what happened on Tuesday, the main thing is when I get home and I can sleep knowing I’ve not done anything wrong, because I never meant to do that and it was not on purpose.
"And you can clearly see that on the video. But it is a suspension. I have to accept that, I have to take it. Obviously I feel sad because I’m not going to be able to play or to help the team. But I have to accept and respect it.
"I’m not saying I’m an angel — I’m no angel. You can see that. But every time I play I will play the same way because that’s the way I am. That’s what I need to do in order to support my family. That’s my bread and butter; also that’s what I need to do for this club, for the fans and for all the people involved in this club.
"On the pitch I will always be like that. That’s my character and I will always compete. I’m a different guy off the pitch — as you can see — but on it I will not change. And I want to say this again: you can look at the video and interpret it how you want but I know I can sleep in peace because I know I didn’t mean to do it."
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