Diego Costa has already worn the Grêmio shirt and is now preparing to get ready for his debut. In his first press conference in Porto Alegre, the striker was asked if he came to replace Luis Suárez. “If I score more goals than him, they will have to pay me more”, he said with a laugh.
“When a club has a history of successful forwards, it’s like a blessing, you go to that club to make things happen. We know how great Suárez is, there’s no comparison, he had a wonderful year here,” Costa said about the Uruguayan, who scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in the 2023 Brasileirão with the Tricolor Gaúcho.
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But the 35-year-old forward comes to write his own story after signing a one-year deak. Therefore, he will have to intensify his training: he hasn’t played in nearly two months, as he hit the free agency after a short stint with Botafogo last year.
When asked if he will be available for the derby against Internacional on February 25 for the Campeonato Gaúcho, the forward replied: “It’s all a matter of conditioning. It’s always good to play a derby, it’s extra motivation, but we can’t rush into things.”
A CARA DO GRÊMIO! 💪🏾🇪🇪 Diego Costa aceitou o desafio de vestir o manto Imortal e promete dar o melhor de si dentro de campo. O atacante e o VP de Futebol Antônio Brum concederam entrevista coletiva hoje à tarde.
🎥 Confira na íntegra: https://t.co/j8QV1tve9h pic.twitter.com/tI3O46ln09
— Grêmio FBPA (@Gremio) February 15, 2024
Diego Costa: “Grêmio motivated me because it was something different”
Diego Costa will wear the number 19 shirt, the same one he wore in the most successful years of his career in Spain, where he drew interest in January before joining Grêmio.
“The possibility of being in some Spanish teams arose, but I’m a guy who likes to compete. Without belittling the clubs that sought me, they were in a situation that didn’t motivate me at that moment. Grêmio motivated me because it was something different,” Costa said.
