The revelry between Diego Costa and former Chelsea coach Antonio Conte has taken another turn as the Spanish striker has yet again taken another swipe at his former manager.
Costa and Conte. Photo credit: Daily Independent
The pair fell out at Stamford Bridge after they won the Premier League in 2017, with Conte famously text messaging him to suggest he wanted the Spain striker to leave.
Costa then went absent without permission and it resulted in the now Atletico Madrid forward being tossed out of the club.
He has now admitted he had ‘problems’ with the now-Inter Milan manager, although praised elements of his style.
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‘[Conte and I] had problems off the pitch, but I think he is a really good manager,’ Costa told ESPN.
‘I have no hard feelings towards Conte, but to be a top, top manager, he needs to change the human side of his management.
‘He is very suspicious. At a team like, say, Real Madrid, he would never last a season.’
After helping Chelsea to the Premier League title by scoring 20 goals in manager Conte’s first season at the club, Costa disappeared to Brazil and was 5,000 miles from Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend of the new campaign.
Costa’s summer began with a text message from Conte, informing him his Chelsea career was over.
He accused Chelsea of treating him ‘like a criminal’ and refused to rule out legal action when Sportsmail spoke to him in Brazil.
He said he would always keep Conte’s text message on his phone and claimed the Chelsea manager ‘lacked charisma’.
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Costa also accused Conte of blocking his contract negotiations in January 2017.
The striker said he has been fined several weeks’ wages as he defied demands to return to train with the reserves.
Earlier in the campaign, Costa had a bust-up in training with Conte as the forward wanted to join Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian – who were offering large sums of cash.
The 31-year-old scored 52 goals across three Premier League campaigns at Stamford Bridge and was a part of two title-winning squads but by the end was allegedly deemed surplus to requirements by the Italian.
Speaking in 2018 to Spanish outlet Marca, Costa explained his version of events.
The striker said: ‘It was a very bad moment but it wasn’t my fault. People said things, but time puts everything in its place.
‘Look where the coach is, look at Conte. I was wrong going to Chelsea because of their way of dealing with things.
‘Cholo [Diego Simeone] is a direct coach, and when he doesn’t love you, it’s clear and he facilitates it. At Chelsea it was the opposite.’
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He agreed a move back to Atletico in September 2017 but could not play for them until January because of the club’s embargo on registering new players.
In the current season that is yet to finish due to the coronavirus pandemic, Costa has scored twice in 19 appearances having struggled with a herniated disc.
Conte’s Inter Milan are nine points off leaders Juventus in Serie A with the league also suspended.
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