Chelsea striker Diego Costa has revealed he came close to leaving the club during the close-season transfer window.
The Brazil-born Spain international had a poor 2015-16 campaign as Chelsea’s title defence unravelled and said he decided to leave the club for personal reasons at the end of the season.
But he changed his mind and has helped to send Chelsea six points clear at the top of the Premier League table with 14 goals in 18 league appearances.
“Did I want to go? Yes, yes, I was about to leave. But not because of Chelsea,” Costa said in comments published by the BBC on Monday.
“There was one thing I wanted to change for family reasons, but it wasn’t to be, and I continue to be happy here.”
As well as his goals, Costa’s on-pitch conduct has improved this season and he said he had made a deliberate effort to curb his aggression.
“I knew I had to improve that aspect because here in the Premier League there is no mercy,” he said.
“A lot of the time it seemed (referees) were against me. If they’re not going to change, I had to change.”
* Agence France-Presse
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
