You knew this divorce would be messy. It’s turned out to be even messier than we thought. Chelsea striker Diego Costa is long done with the club and Stamford Bridge has of course been done with him for quite some time. The feud with Manager Antonio Conte boiled over and now he’s trying to get the return to Atletico Madrid that he’s been seeking.
We’ve all known for some time that this transfer would be complicated by Atletico’s transfer ban. Turns out it’s complicated by much more than that.
ESPN FC reports that Diego Costa and Antonio Conte now embroiled in a legal battle. ESPN writes that:
“Last week, Costa’s lawyer Ricardo Cardoso threatened to utilise “all possible legal mechanisms” against Chelsea and submit a formal transfer request in response to what he referred to as the “discriminatory behaviour” of head coach Antonio Conte towards his client, who was informed by text earlier this summer that his career at Stamford Bridge was over.”
Details of the legal proceedings have not been publicly disclosed, but ESPN maintains that the situation has now escalated to the point that lawyers are now involved. Chelsea found themselves reduced to playing with nine men today in the season opener, a 3-2 home loss to lower table side Burnley. The Blues fell behind 3-0 by the stroke of halftime, as their Premier League title defense began in total disaster.
Diego Costa has remained in his hometown back in Brazil while his future is being negotiated.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
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