Very Specific Football Question No.30: Is Diego Costa just a big flirt?

If you did a national poll to find out which man is considered the nastiest in England, Diego Costa would probably make the top three - just behind Nigel Farage and Rolf Harris.

The latest controversial incident involving the Chelsea striker has been deemed as further proof that he is a wrong'un. Not only was he sent off in the Blues’ quarter-final defeat to Everton on Saturday, he has also been hit with a further misconduct charge for making a “gesture” to Toffees fans and accused of committing the cardinal sin of biting opponent Gareth Barry.

But despite the familiar media outrage greeting Costa’s antics, on this occasion he has also received something approaching sympathy. His manager Guus Hiddink said he was provoked, Joey Barton pointed out that “nobody had died” and Barry himself refuted any suggestion that Costa had bitten him - at least not in a malicious way.

In fact, closer examination of the so-called biting incident leaves the impression that Costa’s intentions were anything but spiteful.

Rather than seeking to hurt the Everton midfielder, Costa appears merely to rub his face on Barry’s before bringing their lips tantalisingly close together, then passionately nuzzling the Englishman’s neck. In any other context, his actions would be considered affectionate.

But Costa’s reputation precedes him. Just because he has a history of disciplinary problems and the face of a 16th century Ottoman warlord, he is deemed somehow incapable of tenderness.

It begs the question of whether Costa is not nasty but just misunderstood. Not a violent man but merely a flirtatious one, who loves to have a bit of cheeky fun with the other boys on the pitch.

For instance, can it be a coincidence that strapping six-footer Barry, with his strong jawline and chiselled features, is one of Everton’s most handsome players?

As Costa himself once pointed out, “You have to see how many times have I injured someone. Never. I’ve never injured another colleague, another player on purpose.“

And when we study Costa’s past misdemeanours, we find that none of them caused any lasting damage.

He gave Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny a playful slap, he teased Seamus Coleman by clapping sarcastically when the Irishman scored an own goal and he indulged in some bull-like "chesting” (Hiddink’s description) with team-mate Oscar after a training ground disagreement.

True, Costa also stamped on Liverpool’s Emre Can and kicked Sunderland’s John O'Shea, but he said he didn’t mean it.

And who are we to disbelieve him? This, after all, is the man who gave his armpits a sniff to imply that Ryan Shawcross was smelly after the Stoke defender refused to flirt with him during a match at the Britannia Stadium. Hardly the behaviour of a hard man.

As Costa’s former girlfriend told the Sun in a poignant interview about her relationship with the footballer headlined, “I dumped dirty Diego for trying to bed my sis”, he simply craves attention.

“He seemed a bit lonely so it wasn’t too difficult to get close,“ revealed ex-model Michele Zuanne.

She added, "He’s a good dancer and turned me on with his sensual moves,” which one imagines were not dissimilar to Costa’s frolics with Barry.

Some people are natural flirts and, despite now being happily married, it seems that Costa is just one of those guys who can’t resist being coquettish. A bit like Harry Styles, or Julian Clary. It’s all harmless fun.

Admittedly, he may have taken it slightly too far with Barry. The pair’s actions at Goodison Park were one step away from full-on kissing, and beyond that we would enter the realm of sexual contact that has no place on the football field.

But as long as Costa keeps it clean, chastising him for showing a bit of love to his fellow professionals sends out the wrong message. He should be applauded, not banned, for his flirting.

Follow @darlingkevin on Twitter

READ MORE VSFQs

No.29: Which manager has the best hair?
No.28: Can Louis van Gaal’s sexual power save him his job?
No.27: What was supposed to happen to Jack Collison?
No.26: Is ‘attractive’ football sustainable in the Premier League?
No.25: Has Mike Ashley found love?
No.24: What song should replace God Save the Queen?
No.23: Where is David O'Leary?
No.22: Was Andy Townsend’s Tactics Truck real?
No.21: Is Harry the Hornet out of control?
No.20: Will Claudio Ranieri now return to his own planet?
No.19: How funny is Gary Lineker?
No.18: Why do Valencia love Nevilles so much?
No.17: Does Jose Mourinho Google himself?
No.16: Would Lionel Messi represent Arsenal’s best use of £600,000 per week?
No.15: What on earth happened to Michu?
No.14: Will ‘the Robbie Savage Principle’ change the face of modern football?
No.13: Which injured player has been missed most in the Premier League?
No.12: Would it be a ‘blessing in disguise’ for Arsenal to get knocked out of the Champions League?
No.11: How is Jay Bothroyd going to get back into the England squad?
No.10: What would Rodgers be doing today if Gerrard hadn’t fallen over?
No.9: Why can’t Jose Mourinho win in Newcastle?
No.8: Is Claudio Ranieri actually an evil genius masquerading as a doddery simpleton?
No.7: Where is the real Branislav Ivanovic?
No.6: Which team has had the most disastrous Euro 2016 campaign (even worse than Holland and Greece)?
No.5: How many of Chelsea’s 33 on-loan players will ever become Blues first-team regulars?
No.4: Would West Ham getting £6m for Modibo Maiga be the best piece of business in football history?
No.3: When was the last time no English strikers scored on a Premier League weekend?
No.2: What terrible things would happen if Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll were reunited?
No.1: How much did Di Maria and Falcao cost Manchester United per bad touch?