Atletico Madrid’s Spanish striker Diego Costa will miss the rest of the season after he was handed an eight-match suspension after he verbally abused the referee who officiated his side’s game against Barcelona on Saturday.
Winth just seven games left before the La Liga season ends, the ban by the Spanish Football Federation means Costa will not feature for Atletico Madrid until next season.
Costa received a red card for his insults towards referee Gil Manzano after 28 minutes, with his side going on to lose the game 2-0.
The former Chelsea forward is reported to have repeatedly insulted Manzano’s mother, for which he was given a four-match ban.
A further four matches were added to the ban because Costa grabbed the official’s hand to prevent him from showing yellow cards to his team-mates.
The 30-year-old was also handed a £5,200 fine.
