Diego Costa hall of shame: maddest moments from the Chelsea striker
Chelsea striker Diego Costa is facing a FA investigation after appearing to stamp on Emre Can and Martin Skrtel during Tuesday's League Cup semi-final.
It was by no means the first time Chelsea's self-styled 'street' footballer, who was also involved in an incident with Steven Gerrard last night, has courted controversy on the pitch.
By his own admission, Costa was never afforded the luxury of a youth academy when he was trying to carve out a career in football.
"On the pitch I fought with everyone," he told the Portuguese media. "I couldn't control myself. I insulted everyone, I had no respect for the opposition. I thought I had to kill them.”
The Lagarto-born striker moved to Sao Paulo with his family aged 14 and joined his first club, the lower league Barcelona Esportivo Capel, as a 16 year-old.
“Boys who grew up playing in academies are taught to control themselves, and respect others," he added. "But no-one ever told me otherwise, I didn't have a school to teach me this.
Costa was supposed to be serving a four-match ban for punching an opponent and threatening the referee when a representative for super agent Jorge Mendes dropped in and his suspension was mysteriously lifted.
In February 2006, Mendes brought an 18 year-old Costa to Portuguese top flight side Braga, and below we take a look at some of the forward's most controversial moments since then.
Diego Costa's maddest moments
November 2008: Ten games into his loan move to Albacete, Costa is shown a straight red card after 58 minutes for kicking out with both feet at an opponent after he was tackled during the 2-1 win at Alicante
March 2009: Costa receives his second dismissal of the season for Albacete after clattering wildly into an opponent with five minutes remaining of the 1-1 draw against Tenerife
March 2010: During his loan spell with Valladolid, Costa receives a straight red card after 34 minutes for stamping on an opponent during the goalless draw with Espanyol, then managed by Mauricio Pochettino
November 2010: Sent off before half-time for elbowing an opponent in retaliation for being hit in the chest during Atletico Madrid's Copa del Rey match against Universidad de Las Palmas
December 2012: Costa clashed repeatedly with Sergio Ramos during Atletico's 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid, and was accused of spitting, headbutting and punching the Spanish defender
December 2012: Handed a straight red card five days later for headbutting David Limbersky in Ateltico Madrid's 1-0 Europa League defeat against Czech side Viktoria Plzen
November 2014: Costa kicks out at John O'Shea but escapes punishment as Chelsea struggle to score against Premier League strugglers Sunderland