Diego Costa has received a three-match ban from the Football Association, effective immediately. He was charged for violent conduct.
The charge, which Costa denied, stems from an incident involving Laurent Koscielny in the 43rd minute of Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday.
The suspension will result in Costa missing matches against Walsall (A – League Cup), Newcastle (A – Premier League) and Southampton (H – Premier League). He will be eligible to play in Tuesday 29th September’s UEFA Champions League group stage clash with Porto (A), which is between the Newcastle and Southampton matches.
The incident was not seen by match officials but was caught on video and proven following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing.
Diego Costa has not received a straight red card since 2012 (vs Viktoria Plzeň), but has now missed 15 matches due to suspension. #CFC
— amadí tídíane thiam (@amadoit) September 22, 2015
Costa initially escaped the match with just a yellow card as a result of his clash with Gabriel Paulista, who received a red card for his actions towards Costa.
Earlier today, the FA upheld Arsenal’s claim of wrongful dismissal and withdrawn Gabriel’s three-match suspension. Gabriel still faces a separate charge of improper conduct for his reaction after being shown the red card by referee Mike Dean.
