Football
Liam Twomey, Chelsea correspondent 7y

Diego Costa standoff joins list of Chelsea's ugliest disciplinary moments

Chelsea have reportedly fined Diego Costa two weeks' wages over his refusal to return to training this summer in what surely is the most acrimonious standoff between a player and his club to hit English football since Carlos Tevez's feud with Manchester City.

The dispute with Costa has become particularly ugly, but Chelsea have been no strangers to player disciplinary issues in the Roman Abramovich era, ranging from the contractual to the surreal.

ESPN FC runs through the players who have found themselves publicly at odds with Chelsea over the past 14 years.

Winston Bogarde

Brought to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2000, Bogarde's ugly situation at Chelsea was one inherited by Abramovich.

The Netherlands international had been signed without the knowledge of then-manager Gianluca Vialli, who was sacked shortly afterwards. His replacement, Claudio Ranieri, saw no place for the defender in his team and before long Chelsea's hierarchy were under pressure to shed unnecessary costs.

In an interview with the Guardian in March 2015, Bogarde claimed Chelsea refused to loan him out unless a club agreed to pay his £40,000-a-week wages in full. None would, so he stayed and was made to train with the reserve and youth teams.

Abramovich arrived in June 2003 and the first year of his ownership was the final year of Bogarde's contract. The Dutchman remained, a sunk cost on Chelsea's accounts, before being released as a free agent the following summer.

William Gallas

Having become disillusioned with his deployment at left-back by then-manager Jose Mourinho, the Frenchman submitted a transfer request in May 2006, which was declined.

A messy tussle ensued, with Gallas refusing to return for training and pledging to run down his contract, which had one year remaining. On transfer deadline day Chelsea finally agreed a protracted move for Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole that saw Gallas move in the opposite direction.

With the Frenchman gone, Chelsea issued an extraordinary statement claiming, among other things, that he had threatened to "score an own goal or get himself sent off, or make deliberate mistakes" if selected against his will for the Blues' opening game of the season against Manchester City.

Gallas firmly denied the accusations, calling Chelsea's hierarchy "very, very petty" and lacking in class.

Adrian Mutu

Facing increased competition from new signings Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman in the autumn of 2004, Mutu soon found himself in public conflict with new coach Jose Mourinho.

During the October international break, Mutu declared himself available for his country's World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic despite Mourinho claiming he was injured. "I don't care about being fined," he told the Sun. "I want everyone to know that the national team is the most important thing for me." 

By then, however, Mutu had already failed a drugs test, testing positive for cocaine. He was sacked by Chelsea, who then launched a lengthy bid to claim compensation from the striker for breach of contract. In May 2008, FIFA ruled that the Blues were entitled to just over €17 million (£15.4m).

Ashley Cole

In the most bizarre moment of manager Carlo Ancelotti's doomed second season at Chelsea, Cole was questioned by police in February 2011 after accidentally shooting and injuring a student on work experience with an air rifle at Cobham.

Cole claimed he was unaware the .22 calibre rifle was loaded when he pointed it at 21-year-old Tom Cowan who, according to the News of the World, was treated by the club's medical staff. 

The incident could have been deemed actual bodily harm, which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Cole was reportedly given "a severe dressing down" and apologised to Cowan.

Nicolas Anelka and Alex

Andre Villas-Boas was given a bold brief by Abramovich on his appointment as manager in the summer of 2011, instructed to overhaul the team's playing style while taking on the perceived culture of player power at Cobham.

Anelka and Alex, two of the senior players frozen out, were made to train alone after submitting transfer requests that were accepted in November 2011. Anelka joined Shanghai Shenhua the following January, with Alex moving to Paris Saint-Germain.

Jacob Mellis

A promising academy youngster, Mellis was sacked by Chelsea in March 2012 after being found responsible for setting off a smoke grenade and causing a full-scale evacuation at Cobham. Billy Clifford, the teammate who admitted he had brought the grenade to training, escaped with a fine and warning. 

John Terry

Two months after being acquitted of a racially aggravated public order offence against QPR defender Anton Ferdinand at Westminster Magistrates Court, Terry was found guilty by the Football Association, who handed him a four-match ban and £220,000 fine.

Chelsea did not disclose their own punishment -- reported to be two weeks' wages and a warning over future conduct -- and were heavily criticised for not taking stronger action against their captain.

Florent Malouda

Having submitted a transfer request in the summer of 2012, Malouda declined to accept any reduction in his £80,000-a-week wage in offers from interested clubs. When the window closed, Chelsea informed the Frenchman that he would train with the club's development squad for the final year of his contract.

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