Diego Costa Sends Message to Antonio Conte Says there's No Animosity between Them

Diego Costa says he holds no animosity towards Chelsea manager Antonio Conte as he prepares to complete his return to Atletico Madrid. Chelsea announced on Thursday that they had agreed to sell the Spain international back to Atletico for a fee understood to be over £50m, subject to personal terms and a medical.

Last season, Conte and Costa were involved in a heated bust-up on the training ground and in the summer, the Chelsea manager informed the striker via text message that he would not be part of the club’s plans this term. Costa was deemed surplus to requirements by Conte in the summer, despite scoring 20 goals in 35 appearances last season as Chelsea cruised to the Premier League title.

The 28-year-old refused to return to Chelsea's Cobham training base in August having failed to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge and instead remained in Brazil in the hope that Atletico could strike a deal with the Blues.

When asked in Sao Paulo if he was upset at the way Conte had treated him, Costa told Splash News: "There's nothing of the sort there, I'm not upset with anybody, I have no bitterness towards anyone. Everything is cool."

Asked if he had a message for Chelsea’s supporters, Costa replied: ‘Everybody knows how much I love the fans.’

Source: Skysports / Metro

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