John Obi Mikel reveals why Chelsea players stayed away from Diego Costa in the dressing room

Chelsea fans love Diego Costa for his antics at the club, but his teammates have had to avoid his dressing room madness.

Costa spent three short but enjoyable years at Chelsea where he scored 59 times in 120 appearances, but it was not just his brilliant record that saw him become a fan favorite.

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The former Spain international often left defenders battered and bruised with his surly attitude and street smarts while his shenanigans on and off the pitch made him hated by his rivals.

But his teammates loved him, including former Chelsea star Mikel, who joined Jason Cundy and Andy Townsend in the talkSPORT studio on Monday’s edition of The Sports Breakfast.

Although Costa may have been adored by many, his old pals at Chelsea knew to stay away from the dressing room – due to his slightly crazy side, including a farcical ‘fit’ with the club’s kitman .

“How much time do we have left? Crazy, crazy guy,” Mikel said when asked to describe the 35-year-old, who joined Brazilian club Gremio this year.

“It’s a guy in the locker room after training, you’re sitting in the locker room and Diego Costa is sitting there…

“He’s watching everyone walking around naked, trying to towel you off, take whatever he can get.

“Yeah, he goes crazy. That’s exactly what he does. Sometimes when you see him in the locker room, you run away.

“Because if you stand there, you know he’s definitely going to grab something or hit you with a towel.

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“He’s an extraordinary human being and what a player. A fantastic player. He had a bit of everything, probably the closest thing to (Didier) Drogba after he left. Perfect for a night out!”

Costa joined Chelsea in 2014 under Jose Mourinho, immediately propelling them to a Premier League title that season after scoring 20 times in 26 appearances.

After the dismissal of Mourinho, who has since moved to Turkey, Antonio Conte arrived and Costa powered the Blues to another league title with another 20 goal.

However, the two tempestuous personalities were always going to clash and it led to a well-documented rift, with Conte texting him to say he wasn’t needed.

This led to Costa returning to Atletico Madrid, but his time in the Premier League was not over as he would later return when he signed for Wolves in 2022.

During his time on these shores, Costa would experience several high-profile moments of madness.

There was the game against Arsenal in 2015 where he had Gabriel Paulista sent off, a nose poke to Gareth Barry’s shoulder against Everton and a stamp on Emre Can against Liverpool.

And the infamous Battle of the Bridge, where Costa surprisingly avoided a card, saw him clash with Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen, with the Belgian booked.