Diego Costa has launched a fresh attack on his former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte following his first return to Stamford Bridge since leaving the club five seasons ago.
The striker spearheaded the Blues to the Premier League title in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 campaigns respectively, the latter of which came in Conte’s first season at the helm in west London. However, the relationship between the pair broke down spectacularly that summer and Costa never played for the club again.
Costa was back at the Blues on Saturday for the first time since his acrimonious exit in 2017, when he joined Atletico Madrid, as he started up front for new club Wolves away at Chelsea – and he was given a standing ovation by the home fans following his second half withdrawal by the visitors.
The striker has now reopened old wounds by taking a fresh swipe at Conte - now boss at Tottenham - in his post-match comments, by continually referencing that his exit from Chelsea was due only to “that coach” as he had no issue with the fans or anyone else at the club.
In the summer of 2017, months after winning the Premier League title, Costa went to Brazil and alleged that he received a text from Conte to inform that he was no longer part of his plans and to find a new club.
While still employed by Chelsea, Costa stated how the exchange made him feel, revealing: "Conte's text? It was a moment of madness. It can happen, but I thought it was disrespectful. I always asked to speak face to face with the coach and the board. I never sent [them] text messages, so it shows what kind of person he is. If something makes me sad about this situation, it's [the fans'] affection as they'd always supported me, even during the delicate moments.
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"If I'd been in the team for three years, it was for them and the dressing room, which was very much united. It was a great experience."
Costa ended up returning to Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window after an agreement had been struck with Chelsea months before, ending his three-year stint as one of the Premier League's most-feared marksman. Conte would depart the Blues the following year after a downturn in results.
On Saturday, Costa took aim at Conte when speaking of his reception from Chelsea’s fans: “I've never had a problem with the fans. My problem was not with the crowd, it was with that coach. I left in bad terms with that manager, I left a champion for the second time, and he didn't count on me.
“That was nothing I could do. I had to leave. Today showed that I did not leave on bad terms with the fans. It's very special. It's the feeling that in the time that you spent here, you did good work and left good memories. Chelsea fans always treated me very well. I was always surprised by the way they treated me. It's satisfying.”
