Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa has spoken candidly about his strained relationship with former Blues manager Antonio Conte, shedding light on the fallout that ultimately led to his departure from Stamford Bridge.
Despite enjoying significant on-pitch success together — most notably winning the 2016/17 Premier League title — Costa revealed that his working relationship with Conte was anything but harmonious. Speaking on John Obi Mikel’s The Obi One Podcast, the fiery forward described the Italian tactician as extremely difficult to work with.
According to Costa, Conte’s intense personality and lack of warmth created an uncomfortable atmosphere within the squad. He claimed many players struggled with the manager’s relentless approach, which often made daily training sessions tense and unenjoyable.
Reflecting on the breakdown of their relationship, Costa said he was baffled by Conte’s treatment of him, especially after finishing as the team’s top scorer.
“He had something inside him because it’s not normal for a coach to stop counting on a player who was the team’s top scorer,” Costa said. “I sent a message to Marina [Granovskaia], and she immediately told me what he did was unacceptable — that he was not the owner of the team.”
The former Spain international also revisited the moment that effectively ended his Chelsea career. At the end of the season, Costa reached out to Conte to ask about his future, only to be informed via text message that he was no longer part of the club’s plans. While he accepted that tough decisions are part of football, Costa admitted that the manner in which the news was delivered left him feeling disrespected and deeply disappointed.
Despite his criticism, Costa was careful to acknowledge Conte’s managerial quality. He admitted that the Italian is a top-level coach capable of delivering major success, but emphasized that such success often comes at a significant personal cost. According to Costa, Conte’s methods, while effective, frequently strained relationships between players and the manager.
The revelations offer fresh insight into one of Chelsea’s most talked-about dressing-room fallouts and highlight the fine balance between elite-level success and man-management at the top of the game.