Chelsea can reignite a fearsome double-act in ex-Atletico Madrid pair Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa under Jose Mourinho

• Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao formed a brilliant partnership together 
• The strikers can star as a double-act at Chelsea if Falcao finds his form
• Jose Mourinho was Real Madrid manager when the former Atletico Madrid stars combined to condemn his side to defeat in the 2013 Spanish Cup final
• CLICK HERE for all the latest Chelsea news 

By Pete Jenson for MailOnline

Published: 08:58 EST, 15 June 2015 | Updated: 11:35 EST, 15 June 2015

Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao’s football stories have long been intertwined, next season they will write a new chapter together at Stamford Bridge and if Chelsea supporters want to whet their appetites for what they might be in store for they should watch the highlights of the 2013 Spanish Cup final.

Both strikers were at Atletico Madrid at the time and the sight of Falcao spinning away from two Real Madrid players inside his own half and sending Costa through to score is bettered only by the look of despair from then Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho on the touchline.

If Falcao completes his switch it is more likely to be as Costa’s number two than as his strike partner but if the Colombian can only rediscover the sharpness that once made him so unplayable then the two have already shown their manager just what they can do as a double-act. 

Former Atletico Madrid strikers Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa can impress together at Chelsea

The pair can rekindle their fearsome double-act, under Jose Mourinho, if Falcao can rediscover his form

The chemistry off the pitch between the two men was never particularly strong as witnessed by the celebration with Costa making no great attempt to thank Falcao for the sensational assist and the two exchanging nothing more than a pat on the back. But things were very different the last time they shared a dressing room. Falcao was at the time one of the world’s best strikers and it was Costa who had it all still to prove.

When Falcao joined Atletico Madrid from Porto in the summer of 2011 Costa was on his way out of the club. He had done well enough the season before as a back-up for Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero but Atletico had four non EU players and one had to leave.

The player agreed to move to Turkish side Besiktas but he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee in pre-season which ruled him out for six months and prevented him moving to Turkey.

Falcao is expected to join Chelsea despite a disappointing loan spell with Manchester United

He stunned Atletico Madrid medics by the speed of his recovery returning to full-fitness in January but by this time Falcao was already well on the way to writing himself into Atletico Madrid’s record books.

The two men barely had time to train together when Costa was packed-off to relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano on loan for the second half of the season.

If the Atletico Madrid coaching staff were impressed by the speed of his return to fitness the Rayo manager at the time Jose Sandoval was blown away by the way his new loan recruit hit the ground running scoring 10 goals in the second half of the season and playing an important part of Rayo’s last day of the season great escape. 

Meanwhile at Atletico Madrid, Falcao was reaching legendary status scoring 36 goals – more than any player in Atletico’s history in a first season at the club - and netting twice in the 3-0 demolition of Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League final. 

Costa (far left) and Falcao (right) combined to help Atletico win the 2013 Copa del Rey

The pair worked together to earn a 2-1 victory in a bad tempered game against rivals Real Madrid

Current Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was in charge of Real during the defeat and was sent off in the game

After his fine form at Rayo, Costa was welcomed back by Atletico but very much as the understudy and he watched from the bench as an unused substitute, as Falcao scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 European Super Cup win over Chelsea. 

Both players are known for being introverted away from the pitch and while they were now training together day in day insiders at Madrid’s second club say their relationship was very much a football one which never extended to socialising off the pitch together.

The connection on the pitch was perfect however with Costa’s willing to play wider and run the channels for Falcao to remain the team’s penalty box predator meaning that Atletico had another superb year that culminated in that Copa de Rey final win over Mourinho’s Real Madrid.

Radamel Falcao scores in Colombia 1-0 Costa Rica

Colombia striker Radamel Falcao scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 European Super Cup win over Chelsea

He spent the season on loan with Manchester United but struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford

The 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu marked a turning point in their relationship on the pitch with Costa getting the first Atletico Madrid goal from a Falcao pass – suddenly the Brazilian had become the protagonist. Even he had doubted that he could score enough goals to become a number nine but that strike in such a key game went a long way to convincing him.

He went on to score 27 league goals the following season – a vast improvement on the ten he got in Falcao’s shadow, the campaign before. He finished what was to be his last year at Atletico with 36 goals in total as well as a league winner’s medal and an appearance in the European Cup final.

And when Mourinho had to decide which striker he would build his new Chelsea team around at the start of the 2014-15 season, he opted for Costa and not for Falcao. Now it seems he will have the pair.

Diego Costa: The technique behind his stunning conversion rate

Diego Costa joined Chelsea on a five-year contract at the beginning of the season and scored 20 league goals

Four years older than when they first met and now both in a different country where they have both had difficulty settling, they may now forge the kind of friendship they never did in Madrid. Falcao was lost in Manchester on and off the pitch and will now be glad of Costa’s guiding hand. Costa loves life at Chelsea but still misses Madrid and will be glad to see his old Atletico team-mate.

And their on the field chemistry will be fascinating to watch. Falcao is clearly not the physical specimen he was in 2012 and he may end up taking no more than the Didier Drogba role as Costa’s replacement when the Brazilian needs to be rested.

But as Mourinho knows all too well – the two can work brilliantly together, they have done it before, and against Jose himself no less.

Comments (73)

Share what you think

• Newest
• Oldest
• Best rated
• Worst rated

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now