Del Bosque: "Diego Costa is looking forward to playing for Spain"

Posted Saturday, October 05, 2013 by Marca.com

"It's a sporting issue; we thought he would be able to come, but after trying to sort it out, in the end we ran out of time. If anyone's to blame it's us, because we didn't consider him earlier".

Del Bosque:

During his announcement of the squad for the upcoming international fixtures, Spain boss Vicente del Bosque explained the absence of Diego Costa, whose possible inclusion has dominated headlines in recent days. "It's a sporting issue; we thought he would be able to come, but after trying to sort it out, in the end we ran out of time. If anyone's to blame it's us, because we didn't consider him earlier".

The Spain coach also revealed that he had reached out to the striker over the phone. "I had to speak with Diego Costa and we had a very friendly conversation. He's a good, humble lad, a far cry from the aggressive character you see out on the pitch. We weighed up the options and told him that he's in our plans. He's looking forward to playing for us".

"The Brazil option is still there for Diego Costa, until he plays for us. His intentions are good and he feels fondly for the country that has taken him in. He wants to play for us".