Conte Breaks Silence on Costa's 'Bitter Man' Insults as Old Chelsea Feud Reignites
Antonio Conte has issued a sharp retort to Diego Costa after his former striker launched another scathing attack on their turbulent time together at Chelsea. The Italian manager, now in charge of Napoli, had remained silent for eight days following Costa's latest barrage of insults but chose to address them directly on Tuesday afternoon.
Conte's Dismissive Response to Costa's Criticism
Speaking ahead of Napoli's crucial Champions League encounter with Chelsea on Wednesday, Conte delivered a characteristically dismissive response when questioned about Costa's comments. 'Honestly I'm not a person to lose energy reading what the people say in the paper,' Conte stated firmly. 'I know very well that around football, there are intelligent people, clever people and stupid people, so I don't lose my time to spend my time to read intelligent people or stupid people.'
The former Chelsea manager then turned his attention to their shared history at Stamford Bridge, recalling: 'Diego Costa played with me one season, so I can talk about the football. I think we won together the league and he wanted to go away three times the same season. I know this. After Chelsea, I don't know what happened to him.'
Costa's Explosive Podcast Revelations
Conte's comments come as a direct response to Costa's explosive appearance on John Obi Mikel's The Obi One Podcast last week, where the former Chelsea striker unleashed a torrent of criticism against his old manager. Costa revealed detailed accounts of their deteriorating relationship during the 2016-17 season, despite their successful Premier League title campaign together.
'I sent the message to Marina [Granovskaia, former Chelsea director] and she immediately told me what he did could not be done, that he was not the owner of the team,' Costa recounted about the breakdown in their working relationship. 'In the end, I was in Brazil, I was with my family and I told Marina that for everything I've done for the club, I don't deserve to be treated like this.'
Personal Attacks and Professional Criticism
Costa's criticism extended beyond professional disagreements into deeply personal territory. 'He's a person who doesn't trust others, he thinks he knows everything,' the Brazilian forward claimed. 'You don't enjoy training with him. He's always angry, always with a long face. He probably doesn't have sex at home because he is a very bitter guy.'
The former Chelsea star concluded with a mixture of regret and lingering resentment: 'It is a shame because I was very happy in Chelsea, but I did not want to cause a problem to the club. The players want me to come back but nobody liked him, that's why he didn't last long. The past is the past, it is a shame. The titles he won at Chelsea, he won it with me for his bad luck. I wish him all the best with his life.'
The Chelsea Fallout and Subsequent Careers
The public falling out between manager and player culminated in Costa going AWOL from Chelsea training before eventually securing a return to Atletico Madrid in January 2018. Their successful partnership, which had delivered the Premier League title just months earlier, had completely disintegrated.
Conte's own Chelsea tenure ended shortly afterwards when he was dismissed at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, despite having guided the club to FA Cup success. The Blues finished fifth that campaign, missing out on Champions League qualification.
Costa's career following his Chelsea departure saw him return to Atletico Madrid until 2020, before heading back to Brazil with Atletico Mineiro. The forward later enjoyed spells with Wolves, Botafogo, and Gremio during the twilight of his playing career.
This latest exchange between the two football personalities demonstrates how deeply their Chelsea rift continues to resonate, with both men clearly still harbouring strong feelings about their tumultuous time together in west London.
