5 hours ago
23
Martin Skrtel and Diego Costa briefly turned a legends match for charity into a personal get-back moment and a reminder of one of the Premier League's most notorious rivalries of the past.
The moment arrived around the 30-minute mark of the Liverpool Legends' meeting with Chelsea Legends at Stamford Bridge, when Costa challenged Skrtel shoulder-to-shoulder in midfield to knock the ball loose. Just seconds before the incident, Costa attempted to get Chelsea on the board after his shot attempt was saved by Reina.
Moments before, Skrtel banged into the former Chelsea striker from behind with a strong tackle that sent him to the ground. As Costa sat up and seemingly said something toward the defender, Skrtel leaned forward and pointed a finger at him in warning.
Both players faced off before teammates intervened to separate them, and the referee showed Costa a yellow card as the crowd reacted to the familiar tension between the two. Costa earned the first yellow card of the match as the crowd began to roar at the scenes unfolding in front of some the Reds biggest legends.
The moment quickly spread across the internet in just minutes. Fans were quick to note the similarities between today's rivalry and its origins in 20215.
One fan wrote, "Diego Costa and Martin Skrtel scrapping like it's 2015."
Another added, "The rivalry between Diego Costa and Martin Skrtel is still alive because what am I watching in this charity match," while adding a photo that showed Costa gouge the Slovak's eye during an old Premier League encounter.
A third added, "I know it's a charity match, but I still want Diego Costa to slap Martin Skrtel," while another fan said, "Of course, old habits don't die easily."
Eden Hazard, who played in the game, was interviewed at halftime during the match and commented on the incident saying, "this guy is still the same!"
The matchup reignited a feud that defined several Liverpool-Chelsea meetings between 2014 and 2016.
Their confrontations included Costa's controversial 'double stomp' on Skrtel during the 2015 League Cup semifinal and a separate encounter later that year when Costa appeared to kick Skrtel in the chest.
The stomp incident came after Costa was accused of using his cleat studs to dig into the ankles of Emre Can and Skrtel during a League Cup in which Chelsea won on aggregate. Costa was later charged with a violent conduct violation by the FA, which resulted in a three-match ban.
Saturday's legends match featured Chelsea, coached by Roberto Di Matteo, with players like John Terry, Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill, Joe Cole, and Costa.
Liverpool's lineup included Pepe Reina, Fabio Aurelio, Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel, Robbie Keane, and Skrtel.
English (US) ·