Chelsea striker Diego Costa claims Diego Simeone and Jose Mourinho both have ‘plenty in common’ but differ in one particular area – their tactics.
The Spain international helped fire Atletico Madrid to La Liga supremacy last season but quickly departed for the Blues, where he currently leads the Premier League’s scoring charts with 17 goals.
“Jose Mourinho and Cholo Simeone have plenty of things in common, such as the passion for the game or the levels of commitment they demand from players,” he told Sport Magazine.
“They ask the player to give everything he has inside. However, when it comes to tactics, Mourinho and Simeone have a different vision of the game.
“I am getting used to getting kicked more than before. Premier League defenders are really strong and physical.
“In England, the referees don’t call many fouls, as opposed to Spanish football. Consequently, you must be really strong all through the 90 minutes.”
Costa then explained how Atleti held on for their first title since 1996, before lamenting their failure in the 2014 Champions League final against arch-rivals Real Madrid.
“We did it little by little, game by game. Obviously, you might get nervous as tension and expectations amalgamate,” he added.
“However, everyone knows his role on the pitch, and on top of that there’s a common target, which is winning each game. Pressure, past or memories disappear as soon as the ball rolls.
“I think that it was harder for Simeone [that I wasn’t fully fit in the Champions League final. He is aiming to trigger a change in Spanish football.
“It was a shame not to win the [Champions League] title after the great job we all did throughout the entire season.
“Personally, I felt well and fit the day before the Champions League final. It was a shame to lose the final the way we did. The goal we conceded in the last minute tore apart our great work.”
