Antonio Conte has responded to Diego Costa after the former Chelsea forward launched a stinging personal attack on his character. The Napoli manager dismissed the specific insults about his private life but appeared to brand the forward "stupid," revealing that Costa attempted to force an exit from Stamford Bridge on three occasions during their title-winning campaign.

The war of words between the two temperamental figures has been reignited ahead of a highly anticipated Champions League showdown. Conte, now in charge of Napoli, was asked about his former striker's comments during a pre-match press conference ahead of facing his old club, Chelsea.

The Italian coach refused to enter a detailed debate about his personal life but offered a scathing assessment of the intellect of those who criticise him.

"Honestly, I am not a person who loses energy reading what people say in the newspaper," said the 56-year-old manager. "I know very well that around football there are intelligent people and stupid people, so I don't waste my time reading intelligent people or stupid people."

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Conte then went on to dismantle the narrative that he was solely responsible for the breakdown in their relationship, claiming the Spanish international was constantly seeking an exit door even as they lifted the Premier League trophy together in 2017.

"Diego Costa played with me for one season, so I can talk about football," the manager continued. "I think we won the league together, and he wanted to leave three times in the same season. I know. After Chelsea, I don't know what happened to him."

The Italian's dismissive rebuttal came in response to extraordinary comments made by Diego Costa on the Obi One Podcast, hosted by former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel. The forward, who scored 20 league goals under Antonio Conte's management during the 2016/17 season, did not hold back in his assessment of the coach's personality. While acknowledging Conte's tactical skill, he launched a bizarre and personal attack on the manager's behaviour and private life.

"Look, Conte is fine as a professional coach," Costa said on the podcast. "But as a person, he is the worst you can have daily. He is very bad. He is a person who does not trust others; he thinks he knows everything. You do not enjoy training with him. He is always angry, always with a long face. He probably doesn't have sex at home because he is a very bitter man."

The forward claimed the atmosphere at Cobham training ground was toxic, suggesting the manager's intensity made life miserable for the squad despite their success on the pitch.

The dispute stems from the infamous end to Diego Costa's Chelsea career in the summer of 2017. Despite leading the Blues to the title, the forward was informed via a text message from the manager that he was no longer needed, a moment that has become part of Premier League folklore. The forward revealed the content of that exchange to Mikel, claiming the manager was waiting for the chance to discard him.

"I sent him a message: 'Boss, I want to know if you are counting on me for next season,'" the forward explained. "He replied: 'Diego, thank you for everything you have done, but I am not counting on you.' He was waiting for a moment like that. He had the fans on his side, too."

The forward claimed he immediately forwarded the message to Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia, who is said to have been taken aback by the manager's conduct. "I sent the message to Marina, and she immediately told me that what he did could not be done," he added.

While Conte insists the player was angling for a move during their sole season together, Costa maintains he would have been welcomed back by his teammates had the manager not been an obstacle.

"It's a shame because I was very happy at Chelsea, but I didn't want to cause a problem at the club," Costa reflected. "I could return, the players wanted me to return, but nobody wanted him. That's why he didn't last long."

The forward eventually returned to Atletico Madrid, while Antonio Conte remained at Stamford Bridge for one more season, winning the FA Cup before being dismissed.

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