Tug of war: Brazil boss Scolari hoping to convince Costa to make Spain U-Turn

Diego Costa

According to Sky Sports News, Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari will attempt to call-up in-form Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa to his squad in November, despite the striker qualifying Spanish citizenship earlier this year.

The report suggests that Spain’s FA has been informed by Brazil’s FA that their national team manager will be contacting Costa in regards to representing a Seleção against Honduras next month.

While Spanish newspaper AS reported that the World and European champions are keen on his services, but Costa says that he will choose to play for whoever makes the first move for him.

Either way, Costa has been in lethal form so far this season, firing home 10 La Liga goals in just 8 games as los Rojiblancos have started the season with a 100% record. Costa could be the final piece of the Spanish jigsaw with his clinical nature from inside the penalty box fitting the national side’s patient style of play perfectly. All of the striker’s goals in the past two season’s have come from inside the box and he would provide a end product for all of creative work in the final third.

Despite appearing for his home nation on two occasions, he has yet to represent them in a competitive match and therefore under FIFA’s article 17, Costa is still eligible to represent another nation.

Any Player who … [assumes] a new nationality and who has not played international football [in a match ... in an official competition of any category or any type of football for one Association] shall be eligible to play for the new representative team only if he fulfils one of the following conditions:
(a) He was born on the territory of the relevant Association;
(b) His biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of the relevant Association;
(c) His grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of the relevant Association;
(d) He has lived continuously for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 on the territory of the relevant Association.

Although he did not make the squad for the final set of qualifiers, Costa is believed to favour Spain after being ignored by Brazil’s FA for so long. Spending five year playing in the country has allowed him to make this decision and it looks like the Atleti front-man will turn his back on Scolari’s men if he’s called upon.

Many may question whether he is applying for citizenship to meet the La Liga foreign player quotas, but an official statement from The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) states his heart lies with la Roja and they are just waiting on confirmation from FIFA to select him.

“Diego Costa wants to play for the Spanish national team, although bureaucracy inhibits this for the moment.

“Atletico Madrid player Diego Costa can not be selected tomorrow by manager Vicente del Bosque for the upcoming games against Belarus and Georgia as FIFA have demanded additional paperwork, which is already being undertaken, even though the player has verbally expressed to the Spanish coach his desire to play for his national team in the future.”