Despite joint successes: Diego Costa of Atlético Madrid coach Antonio Conte speaks the quality for a top club like Real Madrid – because of alleged human deficits.
These two are unlikely to become friends for life – despite previous joint successes in England such as the Cup and the championship:
Diego Costa has questioned the quality of the former coach Antonio Conte, with whom he once played for Chelsea FC, for a top club.
“To be a top coach, he has to change the human side of his management. He is very suspicious. He would never survive a season at – let’s say – Real Madrid,” the Atlético Madrid star player told ESPN Brasil about the current Inter Milan coach.
Costa on Conte: “He is very suspicious
Even if Costa doesn’t only say negative things about Conte (“He’s really a good coach”) – all in all his conclusion is not very flattering. This may be due to the fact that the Brazilian fled back to Atlético in January 2018 because of differences with the 50-year-old Italian, who then became his coach at Chelsea. “We’ve had problems off the pitch.”
The question remains as to why Costa chose to associate Real with Conte.
Background: The latter had been associated with the Royal Family in autumn 2018, shortly after his dismissal at Stamford Bridge, as the successor to Julen Lopetegui, who had been dismissed in Madrid.
But the transfer did not materialise, with Conte claiming high salaries and disagreements with the club bosses on squad planning.
As a result, Conte took a sabbatical and has been coaching Inter Milan only since this season, finishing third in Serie A behind Juventus Turin and Lazio Rome.