Former Chelsea star Diego Costa reignited his feud with former Liverpool enemy Martin Skrtel during a charity match between the Blues and the Reds. Costa, who was infamous for his flaring tempers during matches, has not changed and it was evident in his antics during the game, which was deemed to be a friendly encounter for a noble cause. Costa spent three years at Stamford Bridge between 2014 and 2017.
Costa reignited feud with Skrtel
Costa started upfront for the retired Blues stars, while Skrtel led the Liverpool side in the charity clash, which was a star-studded affair. It all started when another Blues legend, Eden Hazard, fed the former Spain international striker with a pass. As Costa tried to go past Skrtel, the ex-Reds star caught him on his legs with a fierce challenge. The striker immediately lost his temper and confronted the Slovak, but the duel was stopped by the linesman.
But the fight was far from over as he soon kicked Skrtel on the back of his leg, while challenging him from the break. Skrtel was visibly furious with the challenge as he pointed his finger at Costa and said something angrily, before the referee brandished a yellow card at the striker to warn him. It was supposed to be a friendly clash for charity, but Costa made sure it wasn't short of any drama.
AdvertisementWatch Costa vs Skrtel duelCosta's battles with Skrtel
This is not the first time that the Chelsea and Liverpool players clashed on the field. The pair famously came to blows in 2015 during a Carabao Cup clash between the two Premier League giants. Costa was charged with violent conduct by the FA after he allegedly stamped on both Skrtel and fellow Reds defender Emre Can during the match at Stamford Bridge, which led to a three-match ban for the Spain international. In the first half, Costa fouled Can, which sparked a furious reaction from the German midfielder. Then, in the second half, Costa stamped on Skrtel inside the penalty area.
Then Reds boss Brendan Rodgers had heavily criticised Costa for his harsh challenge, as he had said: "He could easily hurdle over the young player and he directs his studs right on to his ankle, which could've been nasty."
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Arne Slot's side kicked off the 2025-26 campaign on a high as they maintained a 100 per cent win record across all competitions. However, things went south after their loss against Crystal Palace. That defeat led to two more losses against Galatasaray in the Champions League and Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend, as they lost their position at the top of the table to another title favourites, Arsenal. The Merseyside club will next face old foes Manchester United in a derby in the Premier League on October 19.
