Diego Costa

[Jase 43,479]

Conte on the Costa saga...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/11/17/antonio-conte-exclusive-interview-wanted-sign-lukaku-van-dijk/

Conte’s two-year Chelsea reign and the nature of his departure was one of the most spectacular in Premier League history. He came, he saw, he conquered and he got sacked, despite following up his title success by winning the FA Cup in what proved to be his final season.

Other than the 61-word statement, both Chelsea and Conte have remained silent on their divorce until now. But the 51-year-old has opened up to Telegraph Sport on the transfer hits and misses, joining an exclusive title-winning club, his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich, how he hopes to one day return to England and the infamous Diego Costa saga.

Conte’s preparations for his second season in charge were badly disrupted by Costa effectively using a text message as an excuse to force a move away, which in many ways pre-empted the storm that was to follow.

The striker had scored 20 goals in Chelsea’s Premier League success, but had agitated for moves to Atletico Madrid and China, before seizing on a text message in which Costa claimed Conte informed him he was no longer part of his plans.

Conte stands by his management of the situation and was conciliatory towards Costa. “First of all, I am a person that doesn’t want to speak badly about a situation with a player from a club that I trained,” he said. “It’s right always to keep good memories and I prefer to keep good memories also about Diego Costa because we won together a league title in an incredible season.

“But, for sure, the truth, we know the truth. The player, his agent, the club and I. We know how many times he asked to go away to Atletico Madrid at the start of the season, during the season to go to China, and at the end of the season to join, again, Atletico Madrid.

“This is the truth and, honestly, in my career I want to have players who are concentrated on my team and not to consider my team a second choice. My team must be the first choice.

“It was an incredible season and I managed, together with the club, the Diego Costa situation in the best possible way. But, in the end, the truth was only that the player wanted to leave many times to Atletico Madrid and during the season to go to China because he wanted the best contract.”

[Atomiswave 6,072]

8 minutes ago, Jason said:

Conte on the Costa saga...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/11/17/antonio-conte-exclusive-interview-wanted-sign-lukaku-van-dijk/

 

 

Conte still receives hella stick for this by our fans....though it was clear Costa wanted to leave many times during his tenure here.

[King Kante 1,500]

On his way out of AM in the upcoming window. If Giroud leaves for any reason, I wouldn't mind taking him back for 6-18 months. Sure he isn't the player he was but at the moment we need more cnut's in the team as we are too nice and what better cnut could everyone learn from? 

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32 minutes ago, King Kante said:

On his way out of AM in the upcoming window. If Giroud leaves for any reason, I wouldn't mind taking him back for 6-18 months. Sure he isn't the player he was but at the moment we need more cnut's in the team as we are too nice and what better cnut could everyone learn from? 

No thanks. We turned a blind eye on Costa's c***ish-ness last time because he was producing it on the pitch. Otherwise, his attitude isn't worth persevering with and worth remembering Lampard also wants players with a good character in the squad and not one who could be troublemaker. Moreover, Costa has gone downhill and has had plenty of injuries ever since he went back to Atletico. 

[Tomo 21,733]

3 hours ago, King Kante said:

On his way out of AM in the upcoming window. If Giroud leaves for any reason, I wouldn't mind taking him back for 6-18 months. Sure he isn't the player he was but at the moment we need more cnut's in the team as we are too nice and what better cnut could everyone learn from? 

Not who he was is an understatement, he in the present day makes our version of Falcao look like a GOAT.

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2 minutes ago, Mana said:

I don't know why people want Costa back. The only time I wanted him back is because we had Morata and he was worse (at the time). But people seem to forget the terrible times when Costa was here.

Costa v Conte, doesn't matter what side you're on he was part of that negativity in the dressing room.

Costa throwing a bib at Mourinho. Costa doing red card offenses on the pitch that while he may got away with it then, he will definitely not get away with it now thanks to VAR.

Also worth remembering that while Costa scored tons of goals in the two title winning seasons, he kinda went off the boil in the second half of both seasons. He tended to fade off after a strong start to the season.

And not to mention, we don't need to get bad PR for his on the field behavior again. We already have enough other problems/worries as it is...

[King Kante 1,500]

Personally, I do not mind Costa's antics, I think they are largely overplayed and a lot of it is to do with his upbringing growing up in a favela. I mean, firstly you have to accept what he thinks is 'normal behaviour' is going to be different to that of players who grew up in Europe and have been pampered to since they got swallowed up into a youth set up before they were in secondary school. 

I mean if you hear the players that played with him, almost all of them sing his praises which tells me he is probably a good teammate/bloke but just with a mercurial/anti-establishment mentality. 

Further, I personally like the dark arts of the game and hate widespread blandness of players today and especially how a certain segment also come out with empty platitude nonsense as they trying to build some sort of sainted/sanistised brand on InstaTwit or whatever. Me personally, I'll take a player with Costa's personality over any of those posers. 

That said, I fully appreciate he isn't the player that he was and that is enough to avoid. However, my initial post did outline him being an option if Giroud leaves in Jan which is fairly unlikely so it was more of a hypothetical suggestion than a real idea. Obviously, it is one that no one else likes. 

[Vesper 28,995]

On 24/12/2020 at 0:36 AM, King Kante said:

Personally, I do not mind Costa's antics, I think they are largely overplayed and a lot of it is to do with his upbringing growing up in a favela. I mean, firstly you have to accept what he thinks is 'normal behaviour' is going to be different to that of players who grew up in Europe and have been pampered to since they got swallowed up into a youth set up before they were in secondary school. 

I mean if you hear the players that played with him, almost all of them sing his praises which tells me he is probably a good teammate/bloke but just with a mercurial/anti-establishment mentality. 

Further, I personally like the dark arts of the game and hate widespread blandness of players today and especially how a certain segment also come out with empty platitude nonsense as they trying to build some sort of sainted/sanistised brand on InstaTwit or whatever. Me personally, I'll take a player with Costa's personality over any of those posers. 

That said, I fully appreciate he isn't the player that he was and that is enough to avoid. However, my initial post did outline him being an option if Giroud leaves in Jan which is fairly unlikely so it was more of a hypothetical suggestion than a real idea. Obviously, it is one that no one else likes. 

I would welcome him back as Giroud's replacement

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Costa gone Costa again...

I guess this is what some people want back, aye?

[bigbluewillie 1,859]

Get him back here asap.

We want enthusiasm he got in bundles, love the guy.

And he loved/loves it here

[lucio 5,418]

Get him 

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He's a free agent now...

 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

15 minutes ago, Jason said:

He's a free agent now...

 

Finished at the top level.

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[Superblue 6,370]

Hopefully freeing up the wage budget to take Alonso off our hands next month.

[Jase 43,479]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/29/diego-costa-cancels-atletico-madrid-contract-leaves-six-months-early?CMP=share_btn_tw

Costa left Atletico 6 months early and apparently due to personal reasons. Will have to pay €15m to Atletico if he joins a rival in La Liga or in the Champions League.

[OneMoSalah 8,783]

On 23/12/2020 at 6:26 PM, Jason said:

No thanks. We turned a blind eye on Costa's c***ish-ness last time because he was producing it on the pitch. Otherwise, his attitude isn't worth persevering with and worth remembering Lampard also wants players with a good character in the squad and not one who could be troublemaker. Moreover, Costa has gone downhill and has had plenty of injuries ever since he went back to Atletico. 

I agree in a way but if there is one thing this squad lacks it is a more abrasive, nastier win at all costs attitude that Costa displayed in games for us here under Jose. Also the way he got in Seamus Coleman’s after he scored an OG in that 6-3 game to taunt him, I loved that. Just as Mourinho would also wind people up prior to a game. Also before we got him from Atletico he was one of the only CFs who would go toe to toe with Ramos in every game, who is a nasty cunt, with the same win at all costs mentality.

We talk about good character and troublemakers but was he really not a good character or a troublemaker? Ok on the pitch he would go at times but you could argue we have too many boys and not enough men, so to speak. Not expecting to see Mason, Tammy, Timo, Kai or that getting up in someones face about something or giving other boys in the team a kick up the arse. Or as if Frank is going to do anything more than sit with his arms folded. Think hes only ever overstepped (well maybe not overstepped but regretted it was heard on tv as he put it) once and was when he told Klopp or his staff to fuck off. We lack this sort of win at all costs mentality. 

If Diego could keep it to the point where it gives him that edge and that extra bit of performance, as we seen in that period he was here, he would be an incredible player. Obviously his age now he’s slowing down a lot so doubt we’d go for him but the troublemaker and good character thing, I don’t think he was any of that away from the pitch or in the dressing room. Ok he wanted to leave the previous season and didn’t return the following summer but Conte also pushed him to that with that daft text message. Worked out okay in the end of the fee we got etc but not as if Morata, Higuain, Giroud or Abraham fully improved or have done than him. 

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7 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

I agree in a way but if there is one thing this squad lacks it is a more abrasive, nastier win at all costs attitude that Costa displayed in games for us here under Jose. Also the way he got in Seamus Coleman’s after he scored an OG in that 6-3 game to taunt him, I loved that. Just as Mourinho would also wind people up prior to a game. Also before we got him from Atletico he was one of the only CFs who would go toe to toe with Ramos in every game, who is a nasty cunt, with the same win at all costs mentality.

We talk about good character and troublemakers but was he really not a good character or a troublemaker? Ok on the pitch he would go at times but you could argue we have too many boys and not enough men, so to speak. Not expecting to see Mason, Tammy, Timo, Kai or that getting up in someones face about something or giving other boys in the team a kick up the arse. Or as if Frank is going to do anything more than sit with his arms folded. Think hes only ever overstepped (well maybe not overstepped but regretted it was heard on tv as he put it) once and was when he told Klopp or his staff to fuck off. We lack this sort of win at all costs mentality. 

If Diego could keep it to the point where it gives him that edge and that extra bit of performance, as we seen in that period he was here, he would be an incredible player. Obviously his age now he’s slowing down a lot so doubt we’d go for him but the troublemaker and good character thing, I don’t think he was any of that away from the pitch or in the dressing room. Ok he wanted to leave the previous season and didn’t return the following summer but Conte also pushed him to that with that daft text message. Worked out okay in the end of the fee we got etc but not as if Morata, Higuain, Giroud or Abraham fully improved or have done than him. 

He's getting old. He has had tons of injuries in the last 3 years. He's been outscored by Alonso in terms of league goals since 2017/18. No thanks. We won't be signing him anyway.