Diego da Silva Costa

Diego Costa

Personal information
Full name	Diego da Silva Costa
Date of birth	7 October 1988 (1988-10-07)
Place of birth	Lagarto, Brazil
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Rayo Vallecano (loan from Atlético Madrid)
Number	19
Youth career
2004–2006	Barcelona EP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006	Braga	0	(0)
2006	→ Penafiel (loan)	13	(5)
2007–2009	Atlético Madrid	0	(0)
2007	→ Braga (loan)	7	(0)
2007–2008	→ Celta (loan)	30	(5)
2008–2009	→ Albacete (loan)	35	(10)
2009–2010	Valladolid	34	(8)
2010–	Atlético Madrid	28	(6)
2012	→ Rayo Vallecano (loan)	3	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 February 2012. † Appearances (Goals).

Diego da Silva Costa (born 7 October 1988 in Lagarto, Sergipe) is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano on loan from Atlético Madrid in La Liga, as a striker.

Football career

Costa started his career at Barcelona Esportivo Capela, in São Paulo, being limited to street football until the age of 16. His first professional adventure was in Portugal, as he signed in February 2006 with Sporting de Braga, after which he spent the following months with the club's reserves.

In the 2006 summer, Costa was loaned to F.C. Penafiel, in the second division. In December, however, he was sold to Spain's Atlético Madrid, for €1.5 million and 50% of the player's rights. He remained on loan at Braga until the end of the season, scoring his first goal for the club in the UEFA Cup, a 1–0 win at Parma FC (2–0 on aggregate). For the following two years, he would be again loaned, on both occasions to Segunda División outfits, starting with Celta de Vigo, then with Albacete Balompié, appearing and scoring regularly.

On 8 July 2009, Costa was sold to Real Valladolid as part of the deal that sent goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo in the opposite direction, with the transfer including a buy-back option that could be activated by Atlético at the end of the season. He started strong for the Castile and León side, scoring six times in his first 12 matches, but only found the net once in the following five 1/2 months, as the campaign eventually ended in La Liga relegation.

In June 2010, Costa returned to the Colchoneros, for a fee of €1 million, initially as a backup to Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán. On 26 September, benefitting from injury to the Argentine (who was sitting on the substitutes bench), he scored the game's only goal, at home against Real Zaragoza. On 3 April of the following year, already as a starter after manager Quique Flores demoted the Uruguayan from his position, he scored all of his team's goals in a 3–2 win at CA Osasuna.

In late July 2011, during Atlético's preseason, Costa suffered a serious knee injury, going on to miss the majority of the season. On 23 January 2012, he was loaned to fellow league club Rayo Vallecano, until June. He scored four goals in his first three games, namely twice in a 5–3 away win against Levante UD.

Club statistics

(correct as of 3 April 2011)

Club	Season	Domestic League		Domestic Cup		Continental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Penafiel	2006–07	13	5	–	–	0	0	13	5
Braga		7	0	–	–	2	1	9	1
Celta	2007–08	30	5	0	0	–	–	30	5
Albacete	2008–09	35	10	0	0	–	–	35	10
Valladolid	2009–10	34	7	2	1	–	–	36	8
Atlético Madrid	2010–11	23	6	5	1	6	1	34	8
	Total	142	33	7	2	8	2	157	37

External links

• Atlético Madrid official profile
• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• BDFutbol profile
• Transfermarkt profile