Diego Costa's feisty reputation could turn referees against Chelsea player warns Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho fears Diego Costa’s up-for-a-battle reputation could end up working against him in the eyes of referees, writes Tom Hopkinson in the Sunday People .

The Chelsea striker has earned two bookings in four Premier League games since joining the club in the summer and Mourinho believes neither was fair.

Costa’s first caution was for an alleged dive against Burnley in the opening game of the season and the second yellow was brandished when he reacted to sustained provocation from Seamus Coleman and his Everton pals two games later.

Mourinho said: “The whole idea of Diego’s feisty approach is a completely fake point. Maybe it’s a point based upon previous seasons, not what happened here.

“Here he got the right advice, the right education, and yet he got two yellow cards.

“One is completely unfair, because it was a penalty. The second one was because he was provoked for the whole game and he had a little reaction.

“He’s being completely fair, giving zero problems to referees and behaving very well and playing his football.

“The referees are there to see the provocation. Diego is trying to play. He’s not afraid of aggressive opponents. He doesn’t let other players intimidate him.

“He’s not there to provoke, he’s there to play football and score goals.”

Mourinho has been delighted with the way both Costa and fellow Stamford Bridge new boy Cesc Fabregas have settled in so quickly at Chelsea.

Laughing, the Portuguese added: “When Cesc was at Arsenal he was always fighting Chelsea and now he plays for us.

“One of the reasons Cesc is so important for us now is because he can play in any position.

“Even at Barcelona he was playing so many times as a nine, their style of nine. He sometimes played on the left wing too.

“He can play in many positions.

“It depends what you want from the game - what is your plan, where do you think he can have more influence on the game?

“I thought he was going to stay at Barcelona. I was looking at him as the natural successor of the generation of players at Barcelona that was getting older, like Xavi.

“The surprise for me was not that he didn’t go to his old club Arsenal but that he was leaving Barcelona.

“And he’s 27 years old - it’s the perfect age.

“At 27 you’re physically on a high, mentally very stable, and you have tactical education in different contexts, personality too.

“I think 25-30 is a great age.”