Diego Costa tried to impress Jose Mourinho by attending extra training sessions at Chelsea

Chelsea striker Diego Costa was partly blamed for Jose Mourinho’s sacking

According to a report in The Times, Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been voluntarily training extra in the last three weeks in an attempt to impress former boss Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager had dropped Costa to the bench in November and the Brazil-born Spanish international had been undergoing double training sessions in a bid to improve his weight and fitness.

Costa had been training at Chelsea Cobham training ground in the afternoons as well as he looked to shed some unwanted pounds. He had been undergoing solo gym sessions as he looked to recapture the form of last season.

After scoring 20 goals in last season’s title-winning campaign and claiming a spot in the PFA Team of the Year for 2014/15, Costa has failed to deliver in the current campaign. Since the season kicked off in August, the 27-year-old striker has scored only three goals in the Premier League this season and just once in the Champions League. Without a capable goalscoring outlet, the Blues sank as low as 16th in the table.

During the 0-0 draw against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Costa started the match on the bench and was asked to warm up. But ultimately, Mourinho did not bring him on and a furious Costa was seen throwing his training bib back in anger at Mourinho.

Fabregas and Costa targeted by home support

Mourinho was finally sacked by Chelsea last week after a ninth defeat in the league left the squad in shambles while Guus Hiddink was appointed interim manager. The first game without the Special One saw Chelsea beat Sunderland 3-1 at Stamford Bridge but the game was marred by boos and jeers from the home support as they blamed the players for Mourinho getting the boot.

One banner at the Bridge even had the names of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Costa termed as “rats” because they were the supposed perpetrators of Mourinho’s sacking (the banner read ‘The Three Rats - Hazard, Cesc and Costa’). The Portuguese manager had used the same term in October when squad selections and tactics were leaked to the media.

Chelsea fan sign: "The 3 rats Hazard, Cesc and Costa" pic.twitter.com/iIbpiAuwhl

— BPLZone (@BPLZone) December 19, 2015

Both Fabregas and Costa were implicated in the media and the fans seemed to have believed the same. As both players were substituted, they were booed by the majority of the home support. Meanwhile, Oscar came off to huge applause after a super performance not seen from him for ages under Mourinho. When Chelsea scored three goals courtesy of Branislav Ivanovic, Pedro and an Oscar penalty, the crowd only chanted Mourinho’s name.

Reports suggest that once Hiddink takes over, he may even appoint Didier Drogba as his assistant coach if he can sort out his contract with MLS side Montreal Impact. Drogba would be a huge addition to improve the dressing room atmosphere since he was a leader when he left the club last season.