The Conundrum with Costa

The Conundrum with Costa

So much has been said and ‘done’ over the bad blood and resultant recent stand-off between Diego Costa and Antonio Conte, two rather egotistical personalities currently employed by Chelsea FC and the unfortunate fact that Alvaro Morata, Roman Abramovich, fans of Chelsea fc, Diego Simeone and the management of Atletico Madrid are all caught up in an imbroglio they’d rather have avoided. In fact, the spectacle has been just that; a spectacle; so ‘in your face’ that if you need someone to explain what it’s about to you as of today, the 13th of September, 2017, you are a. not media-informed, b. not a football fan and, or c. lying — either way, you have no reason whatsoever to read this article, no curiosity to be satisfied by doing so. As with every controversial story, there are diverse, differing opinions about who’s at fault, what the best solution to the situation is, and what the take-home at the end of the day is. This article, wading in at a time when most concerned consider it a lost cause, serves some of these purposes — albeit on the side of Costa, a side of the argument that few have yet to consider as the situation deteriorates even still.

It all started with… naah, nobody claims to know when it all started. It’s been a running thing with Diego — he picks squabbles with everyone — but his other recent coaches, Diego Simeone and Jose’ Mourinho (despite his ‘seeming’ role in the latter’s ouster from Chelsea and the bib throwing episode) still have soft spots for him. The beginning of the duo’s relationship was good — that much was certain. 14 goals and top of the EPL table at Christmas is not a thing you achieve if one of you isn’t happy in the partnership. But (and that’s according to what we’ve been told), then came Chinese money and a back injury (or the alleged pretence of) and things fell apart. It’s telling that in those times, neither of the two acknowledged that the offer from China was the cause of their rift, and the initial altercation wasn’t even with Conte — it was with a fitness trainer. Costa may be faulted for letting the money get to his head but its telling that Costa was not the only player that Chelsea had the Chinese conundrum with that year — fan favourites Jon Obi Mikel who Conte equally ‘supposedly’ ostracised (more on that later) and Oscar left to similar overtures from China. The only difference being that while these two were seen as being surplus to requirements, Costa was seen as being indispensable hence for him to be turned by an offer from China was deemed unacceptable. The hypocrisy is that while players and staff are expected to be loyal to their clubs, clubs management conversely do not come under such a burden and this is a shame, especially for the fans who have to suffer the indignity it subjects them to. Imagine my pain seeing my ‘Special One’ going head to head with my team at the helms of a club which few seasons ago, I loved to hate…

The first sign that all was not well was an empty spot for Costa in the Chelsea vs Leicester fc match (which Conte arguably used to serve notice to Costa that he’s dispensable). When Conte told the press that he wanted to tell the truth, he mentioned, without questioning that Costa had a bad back; he did not question that fact at all. Afterwards, with the fellow members of Chelsea line-up as mediators, Conte and Costa seemingly ‘patched up’ their patchy relationship and Conte managed to convince Costa to stay and help him push for the title contention; the caveat being that if ‘Costa’ was still not happy with the situation of things at the end of the season, his request for a move would be granted. Costa acceded and made no more trouble. Its telling that had he not, there’s no doubt Chelsea’s campaign last season would have been hard-hit. If Costa had any remaining doubts about this new deal, it evaporated as quickly as Tianjin Quanjian spending resolution was hit by the country’s regulatory board. So Costa stayed, coupled with assurance from Conte to the press that his star man was ‘going nowhere’ and 8 goals and four months later (that’s despite most people saying his form dipped), Chelsea (and Conte) had their claws on the prize.

But in the middle of June, word from the press was that while Diego Costa wanted a continued Chelsea stay now, Conte pushed for, and convinced a good many of the board at Chelsea on #costaout. At first he refused to talk about the issue, but one, their desperation in searching for a replacement forward and two, Costa revealing the dismissive text message sent to him by Conte ensured that he, and they, could no longer keep mum about the issue. Asked why, Conte quipped that he meant to ‘keep the discipline in the changing-room’ and some in the press claims that Costa asked out for a third consecutive time in July although the player calls that a blatant lie — what’s truth, we just may never know. Whereon Costa began his foolish defiance — from partying in an A.Madrid shirt and refusing to sign for any other club but A.Madrid to refusing to resume for the season with his current employers (claiming to be offended by the text, his pre-season snub and the request by Conte for him to train with the youth team rather than the starting XI). Needless to say, his approach is bordering on petty.

But while everyone is focused on Diego acting up and giving him the stick for that, no one is telling of the other actor in the brouhaha for what he’s done wrong. How is it that a vast majority of Chelsea supporters are willing to murder the lad on sight when he’s not the only one to have played foul in the matter? Its like Cassandra’s crying and no one is listening. Chelsea has had their fair roster of coaches who came on and fucked up royally with the dressing room and it tells that Conte (regardless of Costa’s claims against his charisma) has not toed the line of Andres Villas Boaz, Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho yet (Chelsea’s stellar performance against Tottenham put paid to all such notions). But — regardless of whose axe is goaded by this truth, it seems Conte, and select members of the Chelsea squad and backroom share equal guilt and should be viewed in the same light as we fans currently see Diego. There’s the moot point that it was ultimately Conte’s rather impersonal slighting text that pushed everything beyond the brink to begin with. We equally need to consider the fact that it’s increasingly likely that Conte lied and or manipulated the situation, repeatedly. One also has to consider the difference in age between the two men (28 against 48) and realize just how much responsibility Conte should bear for screwing things up (in light of the way Mourinho handled similarly troublesome players in Balotelli, Casillas, Mata, Hazard Eto’o, Diego himself as against everyone else). Indicative of how personal than professional this feud became for Conte was his hysterical laughter recently when posed with Costa’s claims of being treated like a criminal. Diego did not deserve that, not if his crime was something half of all the penny-worthy premier league players do on occasion (letting their ambitions cloud their judgements, that is). Just ask Coutinho, Toby, Mahrez, Sanchez and co. this transfer window. If third parties have claimed Jon Obi Mikel suffered worse during his own run-in with our dear coach (allegedly not even being allowed to train with the youth team), I cringe to imagine what his experience would have been like and it’s a sign of maturity on the player’s part that he’s kept mum over the episode until now (I’m delighted he scored an international goal of recent). Now, when things could not go worse for that relationship and Diego has shut himself from the world (his instagram is down), insensitivity on the part of Thibaut and David Luiz (like who thinks ‘Se Queda’ is funny anyway?) assures us that Costa’s will potentially never be a welcome presence back in the dressing room. And that a shame because:

There are only so many aggressive forwards of his class in world football today (Luis Suarez, Lukaku, Zlatan… Falcao’s done, Aguero’s done, Drogba’s retired, Tevez’s retired, Balotelli was never even in his class to begin with) that ostracizing the one true definition of ‘battering ram’ feels like it will come back to haunt us when Chelsea later in the season go on to lock horns with some of the most proficient defences in the game (Juventus, Athletico Madrid, Bayern, anyone?). Morata is that good, so good in fact that I’m sticking on him to score a thunderstorm of goals throughout his Chelsea career, but, is there really a need to lose this added advantage? With BOTH Morata and Costa in a team like ours, competing for primacy, who can ask for more? One could even lead our domestic title charge with the other, on the European front. Why must Chelsea sacrifice such a good thing because men cannot swallow their pride? Why did we need to seek out Fernando Llorente — and afford him the opportunity to snub us? If only Conte, yes Conte were mature enough to smooth things over with this kid — after all the older man should be the better man. Now that Diego is willing to negotiate a semblance of peace with the club, can someone please tell Conte to meet him halfway?

Or is that why Drogba’s returned?

Like all blues diehards I hope for more silverware and more in the coming years. And I hope Costa is there with us, doing what he does best during all those years. As the footballing god he is. Amen

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