Chelsea striker Diego Costa has told Sport magazine he has had to adapt to "getting kicked more" since arriving in the Premier League and insisted: "My challenges on the ball are strong but noble at the same time."
Former Atletico Madrid star Costa developed a reputation as one of the game's more aggressive players during his time in La Liga and, having just completed a three-match suspension after being found guilty of stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can last month, there has been fresh criticism of his approach.
However, the Brazil-born Spain international said he was still trying to adapt to the increased physicality of English football.
"I am getting used to getting kicked more than before," he said. "Premier League defenders are really strong and physical. In England, the referees don't call many fouls, as opposed to Spanish football. Consequently, you must be really strong all through the 90 minutes."
Asked whether he retained the mentality of a "street" footballer, he said: "It depends on the point of view.
"Some of the kicks I suffer in England would be punished with a red card in Spain. My challenges on the ball are strong but noble at the same time. If you check my records, you will find out that I've never caused a bad injury to any player.
"The bottom line is that sometimes the little things I do on the pitch provoke exaggerated reactions. But if you rewind a bit and go through what they did to me, you may have another point of view. I consider myself a player who fights and gives everything on the pitch. Those who know me and appreciate those values understand what I say."
Despite having to cope with a more physical style of play in England, Costa has excelled at Chelsea and currently leads the Premier League scoring charts with 17 goals from 19 games.
The 26-year-old put his success down to "hard work" but added: "Also, Jose Mourinho is a very clever man. He knows exactly the kind of team he wants to build and the way he wants to play. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Oscar have eased my adaptation [off the pitch] as well as helping me score, too."
Costa said Mourinho could be compared to his former Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone, in terms of his motivational skills.
"Jose Mourinho and Simeone have plenty of things in common, such as the passion for the game or the levels of commitment they demand from players," he said. "They ask the player to give everything he has inside. However, when it comes to tactics, Mourinho and Simeone have a different vision of the game."
Costa won the Spanish league title under Simeone last season and also reached the Champions League final, but he had to be substituted just nine minutes into the 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid after failing to shake off a hamstring problem.
Asked about that injury, the striker said: "I think that it was harder for Simeone. He is aiming to trigger a change in Spanish football.
"It was a shame not to win the title after the great job we all did throughout the entire season. Personally, I felt well and fit the day before the Champions League final. It was a shame to lose the final the way we did. The goal we conceded in the last minute tore apart our great work."
Costa now hopes to make amends for last season's Champions League disappointment with Chelsea, as Mourinho -- a previous winner during his time at Porto and Inter Milan -- seeks to lift the trophy for the third time in his career.
"I am going to be honest: I want to be a champion with Chelsea, either a Premier League champion or a Champions League winner," he said. "I presume that winning the Champions League must be an amazing experience. I reached the final of this beautiful tournament once, but I couldn't win it.
"We know that our manager is a multiple Champions League winner with loads of experience, and that will help. I also hope we are a bit lucky. There are great teams yet to be faced."


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