Costa Skipped Pre-Season After Conte Texted Exit Demand

A text message from his boss ended Diego Costa's Chelsea career before pre-season even began.

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What happened. Diego Costa was allowed to skip Chelsea's pre-season training in 2017 after Antonio Conte texted him that he wasn't in his plans, leading to his return to Atletico Madrid.

• Costa joined Chelsea in 2014 and won the league in his debut season.
• He scored 22 goals in all competitions under Conte's title-winning campaign.
• The text made it clear his future lay away from Stamford Bridge.

The story highlights how a manager's text message can abruptly end a player's tenure at a club.

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