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After another ugly performance from Chelsea striker Diego Costa, the striker has been charged with violent conduct by the FA following what appeared to be an intentional stamp on Liverpool defender Emre Can. A minimum three match ban is on the cards for the striker, who has a long history of violent acts against opponents in both Spain and England, unless he can win an appeal.
Costa has until Thursday evening to decide if he will attempt to appeal in the face of overwhelming visual evidence that he intentionally trod the ankle of Can while the Liverpool player was prone outside the field of play. Despite being mere feet from the fourth official, the act, which should have seen Costa handed a straight red, went undetected and Chelsea continued the match with eleven men.
The FA, however, have chosen not to additionally charge Costa for later stamping on Martin Skrtel or for grabbing Steven Gerrard’s face in a scrum. It was felt that in the Skrtel incident it could not be determined with certainty the stamp was intentional, while the referee saw the incident involving Gerrard, handing out yellow cards to both players despite that only Costa raised his hands.
Following the match, Costa was widely criticised for his multiple acts of violence outside the laws of the game. The player arrived at Chelsea last summer with a reputation for similar in Spain when he played for Atletico Madrid, and his reputation has only grown worse since ending up at Stamford Bridge.
