Even if he hasn’t found the back of the net in the league as of yet, Diego Costa sure is glad to have left Chelsea and returned to Atlético Madrid.
Falling out with Antonio Conte last summer, the Spain international failed to make an appearance after the purchase of Alvaro Morata, and was eventually sold back to the Spanish side for just under £60m in January.
During that period, Costa returned to Brazil to see his family, and enjoyed his time off, even if he would have rather been on a football pitch.
However, that doesn’t mean he regrets his move to Chelsea. Far from it.
Speaking to Marca, he said: “I went to England to play in a different league. The Premier League is impressive. I always felt like playing. Chelsea is great too.”
Unfortunately, after winning the league with the Blues, everything changed.
He explained: “It was a bad time. It wasn’t my fault. People said things, but time will always put everything in place. Look at where the manager is now, look how he left Chelsea. It didn’t end well because of the way he acted.
“Simeone is a direct manager. When he doesn’t want you, he tells you and it’s easier. There it was different. We were champions, and after everything, [Conte] sent me a message telling me he didn’t want me.
“I had the option to return to Atleti, but when they told me to return and train with the reserves it was clear I had to go to Atleti, even though there were other offers.”
The striker explained that had the move back to La Liga not materialised, he would have simply stayed in Brazil with his family, as he has ‘other values that money cannot buy’.
During his time at Chelsea, Diego Costa scored 58 goals and picked up 24 assists in 120 appearances in all competitions.
