Atlético's (forced) pact with Diego Costa

• Chronicle Luis Suárez finishes off the best creation of Joao Félix

• Atlético.A win for the old days: from Falcao's poker to Costa's perfect Chilean

• Opinion: What Luis Suárez Represents, by Iñako Díaz-Guerra

Diego Costa was late for the preseason.

It was not for pleasure or whim.

He had tested positive for coronavirus during his vacation and until September 15, he could not appear at the facilities of the Majadahonda Sports City.

Few would have bet their pocket to see him again short with Atlético after that tragic afternoon in Lisbon, against Leipzig, in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

His salary (10 million euros net) and his contract (expires on June 30, 2021) seemed to inevitably lead to a transfer.

The club was determined to go for a world-class striker to alleviate the scoring penalties experienced in the last year.

And, of course, Costa met all the requirements to go out.

But a talk, a pact and Morata's wishes ended up taking a tour of the set.

And it is that Diego was not only part of the first initial 11 of the course.

In addition, he was chosen to open Atlético's scoring account.

There were 70 minutes in which the double wandered around and ended with a symbolic greeting to Luis Suárez.

The striker who was an icon in that magical 2014 was leaving and the 9th called to be the hammer of this ninth project 'made in Simeone' entered.

There are still seven days left until the market closes (October 5), which is saying a lot when talking about a club that is always financially tight (and now much more), where there is always room for last minute surprises.

Even so, the idea is for Costa to exhaust his contract and agree with Suárez and

a partnership aimed at fighting for everything with goals.

Because, as they slide from the athletic entity, the Hispanic-Brazilian has assumed, or should do so, his secondary role since the spotlights are going to illuminate Suárez.

From the player's environment they assured this newspaper that Atlético came to offer him a renewal during the summer with "a significant drop in salary" that the striker preferred to reject.

Even in May an offer came from Qatar that ended up being nothing.

Right now, with that salary and his recent performance, "Costa has no market," they say from Wanda.

No team has asked about him during these weeks.

So the only possibility that he had left would have been to pay him part of his last year of contract and that the buying club would have been responsible for the other.

That is to say, something similar to what has happened between Luis Suárez and Barcelona to make his move to the Metropolitan.

The big difference is that in the offices of the rojiblanca entity they are not willing to pay someone to score goals with another shirt.

The talk with Simeone

Days ago, Diego Costa spoke by phone with

and between the two, who share an excellent relationship, they clarified what his new role will be.

The Argentine did not assure him that in this adventure he would enjoy the minutes he had last season.

Costa has to swim against the current to scratch the prominence of Suárez now.

And all, as they say from the entity, with the purpose of helping in the dressing room and having a good attitude.

A sort of pact that the player himself corroborated minutes after the win against Granada.

«The club knows that I don't want to be a problem.

If they had to sell me, assign me, or terminate the contract, I would accept it.

I have already told you that I want the club to decide my future, "he revealed after scoring his 82nd goal in 209 games with Atlético.

Of course, from the club they pass the ball to him: “Whether he leaves or stays depends on him.

It seems that it will stay ».

The only way to leave is for a club to take over its entire tab, and that doesn't seem likely at all.

If that happened, an old name would enter the equation:

.

Next week Diego Costa will turn 32 years old.

He knows that he has a few decisive months ahead of him to grab the last big deal of his life.

And he seems to be convinced that there is no better showcase than Atlético despite being destined for substitution.

If injuries respect him, he has the potential to score more than 10 goals and be a complement to the Uruguayan.

"One bites and another hits," Costa summed up, in his own way, the secrets of this new society.

"He has everything to continue competing in the best way," added Simeone.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• sports

• First division

• football

LaLiga Santander 2020 - 2021When playing is safe and the dressing room is high risk: better to go home without showering

LaLigaSimeone, positive for Covid-19, remains isolated at his home

LaLiga Granada once again fills Athletic with doubts

See links of interest

• Last minute

• Spanish translator

• Programming

• 2020 calendar

• Horoscope today

• Movies Today

• Topics

• Roland Garros: Egor Gerasimov - Rafa Nadal, live

• Fulham - Aston Villa

• Bologna - Parma

• Liverpool - Arsenal