“He destroyed my career”: Diego Costa reopens Chelsea wounds with blunt attack on Antonio Conte | OneFootball

Former striker says 2017 text message derailed his career

“He destroyed my career”: Diego Costa reopens Chelsea wounds with blunt attack on Antonio Conte

Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa criticized Antonio Conte saying his 2017 exit hurt his career after text message decision.

Costa reopens the Chelsea wound

Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa has spoken openly about his bitter departure from the club in 2017 blaming then head coach Antonio Conte.

Costa said Conte informed him by text message that he was no longer part of the club’s plans despite being the team’s top scorer the previous season.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the 37 year old said the decision made no sense and left him shocked.

“He Didn’t Trust Anyone”

Costa who scored 20 Premier League goal in the 2016 /17 season said it was impossible to accept being dropped after helping Chelsea win the title.

He claimed Conte did not trust players and created tense atmosphere at training.

The striker used strong words to describe the Italian coach saying training sessions were not enjoyable and that Conte was always angry.

His comments sparked laughter from podcast host and former teammate John Obi Mikel who played alongside Costa at Chelsea.

Success at Chelsea, then a sharp decline

Between 2014 & 2017, Costa scored 59 goal in 120 match for Chelsea. He won the Premier League twice, along with a League Cup & FA Cup.

However his career slowed down after leaving London.

A return to Atletico Madrid did not go as planned, with Costa scoring 19 goal in 81 game before moving between several clubs.

Costa admitted he was happy at Chelsea and did not want to cause problems for the club. He added that many players wanted him back and were unhappy with Conte’s methods.

Conte’s short Chelsea spell

Conte left Chelsea in 2018 after two season. Despite winning the league in his first year and the FA Cup in his second, his relationship with several players remained strained, with Costa’s exit still one of the most talked about episodes.