As a way to whet the appetite during the international break but also to raise money for the Chelsea and LFC Foundations, the two Premier League clubs rolled back the years by hosting a Legends match – and Diego Costa of Chelsea has certainly stirred the pot among fans who were watching from the comfort of their own home.
In March 2025, the two teams met with Peter Crouch bagging a brace in a 2-0 victory for Liverpool, and they revisited their clash as thousands were packed inside Stamford Bridge on October 11, 2025. The likes of Ramires, John Terry and Petr Cech were with the west Londoners; Robbie Keane turned out for Liverpool.
Both of the aforementioned charities are committed to tackling social inequalities in the clubs' local communities – but that didn't stop Costa from treating it like it was a professional game of his career. Now 37 years of age, the seasoned striker couldn't help but clash with Liverpool's Martin Skrtel in the first half of the encounter.
Diego Costa and Martin Skrtel Clash in Liverpool vs Chelsea Legends Charity Match
diego costa
The second half, after both sets of players returned from their respective dressing rooms, had a bit more of an edge to it – and that can be attributed to the chaos happening between Skrtel and Costa, whose feud first kicked off in 2015. Never too far from controversy, the latter looked to have deliberately studded the former in the ribs as the two tussled on the turf.
Things, therefore, were bound to overspill when they met again – albeit 10 years later. In the 39th minute, the ex-Liverpool defender lunged into a smashing challenge on Costa from behind, which left the Brazilian in a heap on the floor.
In vintage Costa fashion, he rose to his feet and confronted the Slovak with the pair exchanging a war of words. It didn't take long for the former striker – who is one of Jose Mourinho's most expensive signings of all time – to get his pay-back with a ridiculously late challenge. Like Costa three minutes prior, Skrtel fell to the floor upon contact and words were, yet again, exchanged between the pair.
martin skrtel liverpool diego costa chelsea
Costa, for his involvement, was given a deserved yellow card – and it took back viewers to his stint in the English capital between 2014 and 2018 when he was known for being reckless while leading the line for the Blues. In that time, the two met on four occasions, while they also locked horns once on the international stage.
Given their tendencies to be involved in chaos, tempers naturally flared when the two locked horns between 2014 and 2016. As evidence of their ever-growing hatred of one another, below is a picture of Costa gouging Skrtel's eye during a heated clash in the Premier League.
On their most recent clash, fans online are divided. "Costa man, never change," one wrote on X (formerly Twitter) as another added: "I'm finished, this guy hasn't changed one bit." Another, however, questioned his behaviour given it was all for charity. "Even for a charity match???" they wrote as another said:
"Diego Costa will always be Diego Costa. There is no such thing as a friendly game to him."
"Least surprising yellow of all time," another wrote. Between the time he signed from Atletico Madrid in 2014 to when he returned to the Spanish capital four years later, the Spanish talisman picked up 30 yellow cards and the solitary red in 120 games. "They're still beefing after all these years?" a final fan concluded.