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Mike Egerton
BREAK-UP

'You don't do it by text message. You should be honest and direct to someone's face'

Diego Costa is exiled in Brazil, and is still annoyed by Antonio Conte’s treatment of him.

DIEGO COSTA’S CHELSEA career has been all but over since at least May, but he still hasn’t forgiven Antonio Conte for breaking the news to him via text message.

The 28-year-old remains a Blue but from a distance; he’s still in his Brazilian hometown of Lagarto, where he’s spent the summer, and where he watched Chelsea’s 3-2 opening-day defeat to Burnley on Saturday on his family’s television.

Mailsport’s Adam Crafton interviewed Costa in his familial home while the game unfolded, noting how Costa dropped his phone such was his celebration for Chelsea’s second goal.

And it was this phone on which he still has a message from Antonio Conte, or so he claims, telling him he wasn’t part of Chelsea’s plans.

“What is happening now with Chelsea is sad,” Costa told Mailsport.

“The text message — I understand it when a coach wants a different player.

“Alvaro Morata is a great player. He had a great season in Madrid and actually with the way this crazy transfer market is, I think they got a good price for a young and talented forward. He will triumph at Chelsea, but there are ways of going about it.

“You don’t do it by text message. You should be honest and direct to someone’s face.”

It was 7 June, in the aftermath of Spain’s 2-2 friendly draw with Colombia, when Costa revealed to reporters that he had received word from Conte that his manager “does not count on me for the next season.”

Ironically enough, it was his eventual replacement at Chelsea, Morata, who salvaged a draw for the Spaniards that night, but Costa made more headlines than his team-mate when, during the post-match press conference, he nonchalantly confirmed that his Chelsea career was all but over.

“I was with the Spain national team, alone in my room, when it came through. It was a shock to get it like that. I was showing it to my team-mates and they could not believe how he had done it.

“I was angry at the time. Now I am more calm. I have not deleted the message. If people accuse me of lying, I can show them. It was clear, saying that he didn’t count on me and wishing me the best for the future. Full stop.

“His ideas are very fixed and clear. I have seen the sort of person he is. He has his own opinion and that will not change.

I respect him as a great coach. He has done a good job and I can see that, but as a person, no. He is not a coach who is very close with his players. He is very distant. He doesn’t possess charisma.

Costa also revealed that he’s still in touch with his former manager, José Mourinho, who has enquired as to his well-being during the former’s exile back home in Brazil.

“José has called me, direct to my phone, just to check I am OK and to see how I am.

“He wished me good luck. I never had any problems with Jose, we have a strong relationship. Everyone was very sad when things didn’t work out in the end for him at Chelsea.”

Costa’s full interview with Mailsport, including his reasons for refusing to return to Chelsea to train with the reserves, is available here.

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