Diego Costa: Chelsea Move Was A Mistake

By Joshua Walters

Diego Costa has taken a dig at Chelsea and says he regrets joining the London-based club while describing his days with the ‘Blues’ as ‘very bad moment’.

The Brazilian-born Spaniard joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in 2014 and played 89 matches, scoring 52, but returned to the Madrid club in 2017 after falling out with then manager Antonio Conte who earlier on had declared him surplus to requirement.

Costa won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, and the striker said on Friday that was the only positives he picked from the club whose move he described as ‘wrong’.

“I don't regret that experience as the Premier League is impressive,' Costa said. 'I wanted to play. Chelsea are also a big club. At that time, I needed to change. I'd done things very well and wanted to try something different. I was very happy at the club and with the fans, they had a great affection for me” Costa stated.

'It was a very bad moment, but it wasn't my fault. People said things, but time puts everything in its place. Look where the coach is, look at Conte. I was wrong going to Chelsea because of their way of dealing with things.”

Costa praised Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone for his straightforwardness, and while revealing that both Chelsea and Antonio Conte lacked that character, Costa said he felt happy returning to The Red-and-Whites and to his old friends.

"Cholo [Simeone] is a direct coach, and when he doesn't love you, it's clear and he facilitates it. At Chelsea, it was the opposite.”

“I'm always proud and that gives me confidence, I feel comfortable. I left, I won two Premier League titles. I told him (Simeone) that he had to sign me to start winning things. He knows that I love him and the group... almost all of them were still there. When I left, I was leaving some colleagues I'd known since I was 10."