Conte lifts lid on Costa bust-up

Conte reveals full story on Costa bust-up

Antonio Conte has revealed the full story behind his bust-up with Diego Costa and insisted no player is bigger than the club.

Conte was clearly infuriated by Costa’s claims that he was dumped by text message at the end of the season as he insisted he was told in January following a training ground bust-up.

But Conte clearly had enough of Costa’s antics during the season and was anxious to offload him as quickly as possible so he can rebuild the squad to make sure they maintain success in the long term.

Blues boss Conte said: “Only one player is not important. The most important thing is the team, the squad and it’s important now to be together. You can’t just lose it after one player.

“I want to tell one thing to clarify the situation because in January the situation was very clear for the club, the player, for Costa, for his agent that when we arrived in June then it would be finished.

“It was very clear from January. I took this decision in January and I respected my decision. Now we have to build, we have to build with the new players and with these players you won two leagues and arrived once in tenth.

“In January it was very clear, every situation was very clear: for the club, his player, his agent, it was very clear.

 

“I don’t like to speak to about players who are not here. But I can tell you only one thing that in January the situation was very clear. I didn’t take the decision in June or in May. I took the decision in January.

“The club knew this decision, the player knew this decision, his agent knew this decision. I would be very surprised if someone was surprised about my decision in June and now in January.”