Former Black Stars and Chelsea manager Avram Grant has strongly blasted Antonio Conte for his decision to sell striker Diego Costa Diego Costa.
Grant says Costa’s departure explains why Chelsea has been struggling in the English Premier League this season.
The Brazilian-born Spanish striker, Costa, scored 22 goals in 42 games last season to help Chelsea win the Premier League and to reach the FA Cup final.
But he fell out with Conte during the campaign and has signed for Atletico Madrid after he was told via text message by Conte that he is not needed at the club again.
And Grant believes that the Blues are paying dearly for taking such a decision.
‘You should not release a striker like Diego Costa so easily and think that everything will be okay,’ Grant told Sky Sports.
‘Today the top teams do not release anybody. It is a new era because there is a lot of money in the game. It affects you. ‘If you take Diego Costa away, you can see part of the reason why Chelsea has not been so successful this year.’
In Costa’s absence, Chelsea have fallen out of the top four this season and look set to miss out on next season’s Champions League.
This would have a significant impact on the club’s transfer business this summer, says Grant, who worked at Stamford Bridge a decade ago.
‘Of course it will affect them because the top players want to play in the Champions League,’ the Israeli manager added.
‘But it is not the first time. ‘Chelsea was not there two years ago and even in the year that they won the Champions League they finished sixth in the Premier League.