Jose Mourinho has continued to deny any rift between himself and Diego Costa after the pair clashed at half-time during the game against Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
Speaking to the Guardian, Mourinho says that the striker must read the game quicker and better. That itself was the reason for Mourinho’s unhappiness.
During the final few moments of the first half, Eden Hazard sent a well-placed pass into the penalty area, but Costa did not react to what would have been a simple finish for the Spaniard and the Blues failed to score their second goal of the game.
Mourinho wasted no time in venting his anger towards the striker, only to have to be calmed down by his assistant Rui Faria.
Mourinho said:
Everything is OK, no problem, no problem. But he’s not reading the game properly in these actions. That was my opinion. As a striker, he must read. You have to play not only when you have the ball but when others have the ball. You have to anticipate things and read the game faster. Everything is an accumulation [of confidence]. You’re not on fire again just because you’ve scored a winning goal against Norwich. It’s all a process.
Costa has scored just seven goals in his last 29 appearances but is still likely to lead the line in the London derby against Tottenham on Sunday. Radamel Falcao remains sidelined and Loic Remy’s wife is due to give birth and could be withdrawn from the squad.
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