DIEGO COSTA’S RETURN to La Liga action with Atlético Madrid proved to be bittersweet as the striker was sent off immediately after finding the net.
The former Chelsea striker tapped home from close range to put Diego Simeone’s men 2-0 up with 68 minutes gone of a feisty derby clash with Getafe and charged into the crowd to celebrate his effort. The Spain international striker, however, had already been booked for a stray elbow on Djene Dakonam earlier in the second half, and was shown a second yellow for his exuberance.
⏱ 68' | 2-0 | ⚽⚽⚽ IT HAD TO BE HIM! @diegocosta scores the second!!!#AúpaAtleti #AtletiGetafe pic.twitter.com/0hiLPEarWt
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 6, 2018
⏱ 68' | 2-0 | @diegocosta is sent off. #AtletiGetafe
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 6, 2018
It was the second time in as many matches in which the 29-year-old had found the net for the capital side. He came off the bench in a midweek Copa del Rey last-16 first-leg clash against Lleida Esportiu and scored the goal that made it 4-0 to Simeone’s side.
Saturday’s clash, however, was the first time that he had started a match for Atléti since his return to the club was announced in September following an acrimonious departure from Stamford Bridge. It also marked his return to the Spanish capital.
As Atléti were banned from registering new players until January 1, he was unable to play until the start of 2018.
Since starting his career at Braga, he has earned a reputation of being a hot head, though he was only sent off once at Chelsea. During his previous stint at Atléti, he was dismissed twice.
Despite his reputation, this was the first time he had been sent off in a league match since March 2010, when he received his marching orders in the first half of a scoreless draw against Espanyol when playing for Valladolid. That was his only previous top-flight dismissal.
He now faces at least a one-match ban, so will miss the return match with Lleida in midweek.
- Omni
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he may have been bad for sligo but what kind of amatuers are running what is supposed to be a professional football club up there?
Embarrassing that a so called Professional club can conduct its’ business in this way.
Absolute disaster of a manager. 4 th largest budget in the league and stuck in a relegation fight with only 2 wins. Has footballers but insists on a long ball game. Players he brought in are, for the most part, useless. The football is shite as reflected by the fans who are voting with their feet. He is playing the Martyr but wants to be paid off on his full 2 year contract with no compromise. People may say contracts should be honoured but with Heary in charge Rovers will be relegated no question.
Ok, we get it, you don’t like the guy and as you say, results seem to support why you have that opinion. That’s no reason to mistreat him though. Sack him if you want but at least be professional about it and communicate it clearly. One minute the club release a statement that they have parted company, then say they’ve reinstated him and then say he stepped down…all contradictory messages. All the signs suggest to me that there are real problems with the management of that club. Do your business behind closed doors!
I’m a Bohs supporter so have little time or sympathy for Heary but Sligo have made a balls of how they’ve handled the situation. Very unprofessional and if I was a Sligo fan, I’d be rightly pissed off with the club.
Is that true that they have the 4th largest budget in the league? Presumably Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers and Pats (unsustainably) are the top 3. I thought John Caulfield was talking shite when he said he was operating off the 5th largest budget but apparently not.
This mess isn’t helping any of the parties involved from the manager to chairman and committee
As a rovers supporter I very disappointed by the whole thing.
There has been no clear statements from the club since things have gone pear shaped
We have some very capable players and heary is not a capable manager look at bohs performance this season compared to last.
All in all I think this is going to be an expensive tale for rovers and we should keep to our managers from abroad as proven thru the years to be the most successful for use
heary won’t walk away from the 18 months left on his contract worth a reported 70k. that’s why he says he was fired . He wants his payoff. The club can’t afford to pay him off but If fans stay away like what’s happening now then 65% of gate receipts budgets for next season will leave the club in trouble next season as well . The club need to bite the bullet and pay him off and say good riddance to a shite manager . heary doesn’t look good in this situation either . no club will touch him in the future now. The sacking was the right decision 2 wins from 16 is shocking. I’m just disappointed by the way the rovers board handled this
Delighted he finished with Bohs when he did, was an absolute disaster as manager his stint at Sligo just confirmed that he’s simply not up to the task of managing a club in the League of Ireland.