Graham Poll: To referee Diego Costa have a few words with him before kick-off

While it is not correct to pre-judge a player you are about to referee, it is essential to prepare.

If I was refereeing Diego Costa, I would look to have a few words with him before the game, in public, most likely on the pitch in the warm-up. I would make sure that John Terry, as his captain, was present.

Costa is a gifted player but feels hard done by.
He believes he has not had the rub of the green from referees when he has been fouled in the penalty area but booked for diving instead.

Because of this, he feels the need to protect himself — that is why he squares up to people. He will not back down in a stand-off and he reminds me of Roy Keane — a player I refereed more than 50 times.

While I cautioned Roy numerous times, I never sent him off. We established mutual respect and he trusted me to deal with him fairly. This is what Costa needs now.

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Source: Sportsmail


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