Chelsea FC: Jose Mourinho Slams Premier League Referees For Incorrect Bookings On Diego Costa

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho blasts at Premier League referees for incorrectly booking his striker Diego Costa.

The Brazil-born Spanish international has already served a one-game suspension when they hosted Tottenham Hotspur on matchday 14, after initially accumulating five yellow cards. He did not seem to learn his lesson, as he was yet again on the referee's books upon his return at St. James' park and on Saturday against Hull City.

However, the Portuguese boss opined that only two of the said 7 instances actually merited such cautions, while the others were questionable.

"I can't believe seven bookings because I remember two that are understandable and fair,"

"One was against Newcastle, because he complained with the referee with arms in the air and body language that was not acceptable for referees."

"The other one was against Liverpool, when there was a really aggressive duel with [Martin] Skrtel, fighting in a yellow-card way."

"All the others [were incorrect]: the first one at Burnley is a penalty and a red card for the keeper; other times when it was not simulation; or when he touches one guy and it is a yellow card."

"Everything he does is a yellow. But seven? It looks like everybody comes ready for him."

Costa has a reputation of going down easily inside the box when he was still with his former club, Atletico Madrid, but Mourinho insists that those theatricals have long been out of the 26-year-old's system.

"When he was at Atlético he created a certain image and people don't believe that he can change ... that we can teach him what English football is - the mentality, what people accept, what is a red card here,"

"People don't see he is intelligent enough to understand it. He has changed."

As it stands, Costa is at risk of receiving two more suspensions, should he incur three more yellows until the second Sunday of April.

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