Conte responds to Costa’s remarks ahead of Chelsea clash
Antonio Conte delivered a cutting response to Diego Costa’s inflammatory remarks during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of Napoli’s Champions League encounter with Chelsea, reports BritPanorama.
Conte chose not to engage directly with his former striker’s personal jibes, instead providing a thinly veiled critique of those who criticise him. “Honestly I’m not a person to lose energy reading what the people say in the paper,” Conte stated. “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.”
Costa’s scathing critique emerged during an appearance on John Obi Mikel’s The Obi One Podcast last week, where the Brazilian-born former Spain international launched a blistering attack on Conte’s character. “Conte’s OK as a professional coach. But as a person, he’s the worst thing you can have on a daily basis,” Costa declared. He further claimed, “He’s a person who doesn’t trust others, he thinks he knows everything. You don’t enjoy training with him. He’s always angry, always with a long face.”
The forward also made a provocative claim, suggesting, “He probably doesn’t have sex at home because he’s a very bitter guy.” Costa alleged that his teammates shared his negative view, stating, “nobody liked him. That’s why he didn’t last long.”
Conte countered Costa’s version of events by revealing undisclosed details regarding the striker’s commitment during their championship season together. “Diego Costa played with me one season, so I can talk about the football,” the Napoli boss noted. “I think we won together the league and he wanted to go away three times the same season. I know this.” He added, “After Chelsea, I don’t know what happened to him,” challenging Costa’s portrayal of himself as a loyal servant forced out by an unreasonable manager.
This back-and-forth comes during a challenging period for Conte, following Napoli’s recent 3-0 defeat to Juventus in Serie A, alongside a growing injury crisis. The Wednesday fixture at Stamford Bridge marks a reunion for Conte with the club where he and Costa celebrated a Premier League title in the 2016-17 season.
Their collaboration, however, ended abruptly the following summer, with Costa going absent without leave before his eventual return to Atletico Madrid in January 2018.
As the two sides prepare to meet, the narrative surrounding their relationship serves as a reminder of the complexities that often play out behind the scenes in football, illustrating how professional ties can fray into personal animosities. In a sport defined by loyalty and rivalry, it is evident that past grievances are often not easily left on the pitch.
