Costa trolls journalists with ‘fake cough’ joke amid coronavirus outbreak
Diego Costa took his trademark wind-ups a step too far on Wednesday night by reportedly pretending to cough on journalists as he left Anfield.
The striker had spent the evening sparking the Merseyside crowd as his Atletico Madrid side claimed a dramatic extra-time win over Champions League holders Liverpool.
But his departure from the stadium, through the mixed zone filled with media, drummed up more controversy.
Footage from El Chiringuito showed the player hurriedly making his way out of the ground while pretending to wheeze.
PA Media reporter Carl Markham tweeted that Costa passed the busy area while “fake coughing at everyone as he went down the line”.
The joke was no doubt a reference to the recent coronavirus outbreak that was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation last night.
An official worldwide case count of over 12,000 was declared on Wednesday with 827 dead.
Of those diagnosed, 460 were tested positive in the UK with 2,277 in Spain – where LaLiga games are to be held behind closed doors as a precaution.
Costa played 56 minutes of Atleti’s win at Liverpool and reacted furiously to coming off the pitch, kicking a kit bag and several bottles.
It was his replacement, Marcos Llorente, who popped up to hit the two goals that sent Los Colchoneros through.
❌ Lamentable. La broma de Diego Costa en plena crisis por el coronavirus. #ElChiringuitoDeMega pic.twitter.com/nvB2OJEJX9
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) March 12, 2020
Read Also: Liverpool crash out of Champions League, Atletico advance to quarters
Liverpool supporters were left riled by much of his antics during the night, including throwing the ball away before an early free-kick in front of the Kop.
But Costa is used to pushing his luck and getting away with it, as the Reds might remember when he escaped a red card despite appearing to stamp on Emre Can in January 2015.
Although the striker was retrospectively banned, it was too late for Liverpool as they were knocked out of the League Cup at the semi-final stage.