Estranged Chelsea striker Diego Costa has accused the London club of
treating him like a criminal after his falling out with manager Antonio
Conte leading to him being frozen out of the club.
Costa scored 20
Premier League goals as Chelsea won the EPL title last season but was
told via a text message by Conte that he would no longer be needed at
the club this season.
Conte ordered Costa to train with the reserves after he rejected a
mega money move to China, rather opting for a transfer to his forner
club Atletico Madrid- who can't sign him until January due to their
transfer ban by FIFA.
And now Costa, who has been holidaying in his native Brazil, has
revealed that he doesn't mind receivin fines from the club for refusing
to train with the reserves, accusing Conte of treating him badly.
"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 to SportsMail.
"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 it's 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."
"I am open to being a year in Brazil without playing, even if Chelsea fine me for a year and don't pay me," he said.
"I'll come back stronger. If I was in the wrong, I'd go back now and do as they say.
"My desire is to go to Atletico. I’ve spoken to Chelsea director
Marina Granovskaia. I said, 'If the manager doesn't want me, I want to
go to Atletico Madrid'.
"I have rejected other offers. They want to sell me to China or other
teams. If I'm off, I'm going to the club I want to go to - not the club
that's paying the most."
"His ideas are very fixed and clear," Costa said of Conte. "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."
As for the infamous text message sent y Conte to Costa informing him of his plans, Costa says he won't delete the message.
"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," he added.
1 comment:
I expect this issue to be settled soon
Post a comment