Ex Chelsea striker Diego Costa launched a sensational attack on his former manager who was "always angry" and "nobody liked".
Costa moved to the Blues from Atletico Madrid in a £32 million move in 2014 and became an instant hit at Stamford Bridge, scoring 21 goals as Chelsea won the Premier League and League Cup in his first season.
He later added another Premier League title to his collection in the 2016/17 when Chelsea triumphed under Antonio Conte in the Italian's first season at the helm.
The Italian came in after Chelsea sacked Mourinho for a second time in December 2015 after a dire run of form which saw nine defeats in 16 league games and the return of Guus Hiddink as interim boss.
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Costa had just over one season playing under Mourinho but has only positive things to say about his management.
"For me, Mourinho is the coach I enjoyed the most," he said in an appearance on former teammate John Obi Mikel's podcast.
"He gives you life. You come to training happy."
The former Spain international went on to score 20 goals again in his second Premier League win but when July 2017 came around, he received a text message from Conte informing him that he wasn't part of his plans.
The alleged text read: "Hi Diego, I hope you are well. Thanks for the seasono [sic] we spent together. Good luck for the next year but you are not in my plan."
Costa subsequently agreed a return to Atletico but was only eligible to join in January because of the club's transfer ban.
Nine years on and Costa has slammed Conte for his confrontational management approach and claims his view that the Napoli boss was not a pleasant person to be around at Chelsea is shared by many.
"He's a person who doesn't trust others," Costa added.
"He thinks he knows everything. You don't enjoy training with him. He's always angry, always with a long face. The players wanted to come back but nobody liked him and that's why he didn't last long."
The full interview is yet to be released, with only a teaser put out on social media.
After his second stint at Atletico, Costa returned to Brazil with Atletico Mineiro before coming back to England for a brief spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he played 25 times and scored just once.
He headed back to his native country for stints with Botofogo and Gremio.
Topics: Diego Costa, Chelsea
Josh Lawless