‘I was wrong going to Chelsea – I knew what to do after they told me to go with reserves’

Diego Costa and manager Antonio Conte’s bitter row ended in the striker leaving Chelsea (Image: PA)

In the manager’s first season at Chelsea, two larger-than-life figures, Diego Costa and Antonio Conte, united to win a Premier League title, but their friendship quickly soured.

Diego Costa continues to be adored by the Chelsea supporters at Stamford Bridge for countless reasons.

There was never a dull moment while the Brazilian-born striker played with the Blues from 2014 to 2017. He was a key player in two Premier League winning seasons, scored goals for joy, and roughed up opponents—biting Gareth Barry once.

As the Spain international’s interest in leave the team grew, tensions between the maverick No. 19 and his manager, Antonio Conte, grew during his final season in west London, leading to the second of those title victories. With 20 league goals in 35 appearances, he led Chelsea in scoring that season. However, a sour disagreement between the two saw him kicked out of the team in the summer of 2017 and later returned to Atletico Madrid, his old team.

Costa acknowledged in September 2018—a year after leaving—that he should never have joined Chelsea in the first place, citing Conte’s harsh managerial style as justification. “I was wrong to go to Chelsea, because of the way they handled things,” he said to Marca. Diego Simeone, the coach of Atletico Madrid, is a straightforward coach who makes it obvious when he doesn’t love you.

It was the other way around at Chelsea. I had the choice to go back to Atletico, and even if there were other offers, I was certain that I would return to Atletico when Chelsea instructed me to resume training with the reserves.

Costa was Chelsea’s top player with 14 Premier League goals up until he was left off the squad for an away game against Leicester in early 2017, which was the first sign of trouble between the two teams. That was due to a disagreement he had with a fitness coach on how to manage his back discomfort, which led to a heated argument with Conte.

In the backdrop, rumors circulated that Costa, who was already a Premier League champion in his third season with the Blues, had received an offer from China worth £30 million annually. Costa was uneasy about a move to the Chinese Super League, which would have made him the second-highest paid football player in the world behind Carlos Tevez, even though Chelsea stated at the time that they had no intention of moving him.

When the manager texted the Spain international that he was free to join another team, the manager-player rivalry reached a shocking peak in June 2017. At the time, Costa, then 28 years old, said the Italian had texted the players, wishing them a happy holiday and advice on staying in shape.

Conte responded to Costa’s lighthearted reply with a somewhat somber note, writing: “Hello Diego, I hope everything is good with you. I’m grateful for the season we shared. You are not part of my strategy, but good luck for the upcoming year. “My relationship with the coach has been bad this season,” the attacker said, sharing the encounter with his teammates. Regretfully, I have already sent the message to the Chelsea team so they may make a decision.”

Later on, he acknowledged that it was a “moment of madness” and referred to the text as “disrespectful.” Costa stated: “I always requested a face-to-face meeting with the board or coach. It demonstrates the kind of person he is because I never texted them. I’m saddened by this scenario because my fans have always been there for me.

Three years after moving to Atletico Madrid for £32 million, Costa—who turns 36 today, Monday, October 7—finally finalized his transfer in September 2017. He said that Chelsea had demanded an outrageous transfer fee, treating him like a “criminal” and forcing him to stay at Stamford Bridge against his choice.

After 120 games for the team, he left Chelsea with 58 goals, while Conte was fired in July 2018 under difficult circumstances of his own. Since then, Conte has discussed the conflict, claiming in 2020 that the reason for their broken connection was Costa’s desire to leave the team during the season.

“First of all, I am a person that doesn’t want to speak badly about a situation with a player from a club that I trained,” Conte, who is currently manager of Napoli, said to The Telegraph. It’s important to constantly save happy memories, and since Diego Costa and I shared a league title during an amazing season, that’s why I choose to preserve happy recollections of him as well.

“But we are aware of the truth, that much is certain. The team, me, the guy, and his agent. We are aware of the numerous occasions he requested to leave for Atletico Madrid at the beginning of the season, travel to China during the season, and return to Atletico Madrid at the conclusion of the season.

This is the reality, and to be completely honest, I want players that are focused on my squad and don’t think of my team as a backup plan throughout their career. My squad needs to be selected first.

“It was an amazing season, and I worked with the club to handle the Diego Costa situation as best I could. However, the player’s desire for the greatest contract ultimately led him to repeatedly leave for Atletico Madrid and travel to China during the season.

When Costa played for Wolves against Chelsea two years later, he revealed that there was still affection between the two. In an interview, he declined to mention Conte by adding, “I’ve never had a problem with the fans.” That coach was the source of my issue, not the throng. I parted ways with that manager on harsh terms; it was my second time leaving a champion, and he had not expected me.

“I was powerless to stop that. I had to get out. Today proved that my parting from the fans was amicable. It’s quite unique. It’s the impression that you accomplished well and left pleasant memories throughout your time here. I was always treated very well by Chelsea fans. The manner they handled me always took me by surprise. It is fulfilling.