Sunday 26 April 2020 13:17, UK
Diego Costa says his former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte would not be able to manage a club like Real Madrid because he is too "suspicious".
Costa, now at Real's city rivals Atletico Madrid, fell out with Conte just weeks after they won the Premier League together in 2017.
Conte, who is now in charge of Inter Milan, sent a text message to Costa informing him that he was no longer part of his plans.
Costa was frozen out for the first half of the next season at Chelsea before returning to Spain in the winter, while Conte was sacked a year later, and the 31-year-old knows what went wrong in their relationship.
He told ESPN Brasil: "We had problems off the pitch, but I think he is a really good manager. I have no hard feelings towards Conte.
"But to be a top, top manager, he needs to change the human side of his management. He is very suspicious.
"At a like, say, Real Madrid, he would never last a season."
Costa also revealed his reasons for turning his back on Brazil, the country of his birth, to represent Spain in international football.
He played in two friendlies for Brazil, but says: "I remember several forwards were injured but [then-manager Luiz Felipe] Scolari would not select me. I stayed quiet, but wasn't selected for the Confederations Cup.
"The possibility of Spain emerged and I accepted. How could I say no? Suddenly, they started saying Scolari wanted me.
"Well, he never called me once. How could it be that he wanted me? I then saw it written that I had ruined the dreams of millions of Brazilians. Why not say that he didn't look for me? Then it's simple."
