Reports indicated Diego Costaa��s return to his former club Atletico Madrid where he played for four years previously.
Costa was a part of the Atletico side which managed to win a La Liga Title, two Super Cups & the Kinga��s Cup. It was surely a memorable run for the Chelsea forward with his former Club. Costa will play with Chelsea Football Club till June 2019 as per the Contract. He has scored 36 goals in the 77 matches he has played for Chelsea since he joined the Club in 2014.
Marseillea��s Michy batshuayi was signed by Chelsea which brought in reports from England & Spain speculating Costaa��s return to his former Club. But Athletico Madrida��s president Enrique Cerezo has discarded the news of the Chelsea forward returning to the Vicente Calderon Stadium this summer. He adds saying that Costa is a great player who is loved by people but he is a Chelsea player and he has a contract with Chelsea. So that is the end of the topic, He is not going to return.
IOC to take a week to decide on Russia Olympic ban
Lausanne, July 20 (AFP) The International Olympic Committee said today it would take up to a week to decide whether to ban Russia from the Rio Olympics over its “state” doping machine.
Amid widespread agonising within the IOC over how to handle its biggest doping scandal, the final verdict could come less than 10 days from the Rio opening ceremony on August 5.
The IOC executive decided yesterday to wait until after a Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) ruling expected tomorrow before deciding whether a blanket Olympic ban on Russian competitors should be imposed.
The IOC, which said it needed to study all “legal options”, has now signalled it will take every day possible for one of the most important decisions in Olymnpic history.
“We expect a decision within seven days on the participation of Russian competitors in Rio,” IOC media relations chief Emmanuelle Moreau told AFP.
The IOC has already banned Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and all other ministry officials from the Rio Games and withdrawn backing for international events in Russia over the doping programme revealed by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren this week.
McLaren, who produced a report for the World Anti-Doping Agency, said there was a “state-dictated failsafe system” of drug cheating. IOC president Thomas Bach called Russia’s actions a “shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games.”
– ‘Reluctant’ IOC –
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WADA has called for Russia to be banned and are believed to have backing from the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan and other nations.
“It’s a complex issue to ban a country, but we’re delighted to see they’re considering it,” New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary-general Kereyn Smith said.
But some senior officials have expressed doubts whether the IOC wants to expel Russia.
a�? We are looking for a number nine & once we sign a player for that position we will announce it a�?, said Enrique Cerezo.
On the other hand the new Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte is quite happy to have Costa in his side. He says,a�? Costa is a player of Fundamental Importance for the team & he will stay with Chelsea a�?.
Conte handed Costa a start in a Pre season friendly match on Saturday which the team lost 2 – 0 against Rapid Vienna. It was Contea��s first match in charge.
