Displaced Chelsea star Diego Costa
has given a withering valuation of head coach Antonio Conte and accused the
Premier League champions of treating him as if he were a “criminal”.....
Costa was
Chelsea’s top scorer with 20 goals as they secured a second league title in
three years last season but Conte has since informed the Spain international he
does not feature in his first-team plans. The manner of this rejection provides
a major flash point in the current stand-off, with Costa claiming Conte dumped
him via text message when he was away on international duty in June. Chelsea
maintain the 28-year-old forward has been aware of their plans since January,
around the time he was heavily linked with a move to Tianjin Quanjian in the
Chinese Super League. The upshot is Costa going AWOL, back to his hometown of
Lagarto in Brazil, where a UK newspaper tracked him down at his family home
while watching the Blues’ shock 3-2 defeat to Burnley. A return to former club
Atletico Madrid remains the desired option for Costa, who is presently racking
up fines as he refuses to return to Chelsea and train with the reserves. “I
wouldn’t be allowed access to the first-team dressing room and I would have no
contact at all with the guys,” he explained. “I’m not a criminal! I don’t think
it is fair after all I have done to be treated like that. “They gave me a week
extra off at the start of pre-season training but since then its fines all the way.
“They want me training with the reserves. I am not going to do that. I am not a
criminal and I am not in the wrong here. So, if they need to fine me, let them
fine me.” Atletico’s player registration ban would prevent Costa from playing
for them until January but the forward is willing to remain out of action for
as long as it takes his Chelsea ordeal to play out. Costa claimed to have been
on the verge of signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge but accused Conte of
“putting the brakes on” and sees no prospect of reconciliation with the
Italian, who brought in club-record signing Alvaro Morata as his replacement.
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