Diego Costa Comments on Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Chelsea and More

Chelsea striker Diego Costa says the reason for manager Antonio Conte succeeding where predecessor Jose Mourinho did not is due to the fact the former is liked by his playing staff. 

Conte took over at Stamford Bridge in the summer and has helped the Blues amass a five-point lead at the Premier League summit, and Costa has put that down to the player-manager relationship, per Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard:

A full transcript of the interview read:

"

I think it’s really important for managers to be liked by his players because ultimately on the pitch, those players will give everything for their manager.

We have had a change of manager, he is working us hard, but people like him, which is important for everyone connected to the club because it creates a good atmosphere. Sometimes you have managers that have to be the boss, but this manager is a bit friendlier and there is closeness there.

It is really important to have that at your workplace for you to come in and feel happy. You need a good atmosphere and a bit of fun.

"

Mourinho's bond with his Chelsea players reached a low towards the end of 2015, when BBC Sport reporter Garry Richardson (h/t Eurosport's Tom Adams) said a Chelsea first-team player told him he'd "rather lose than win for Mourinho."

The Portuguese was sacked in December 2015 before Guus Hiddink took over as interim chief, with Conte eventually appointed in July 2016. The team is now flying under the Italian and have won a club-record 13 successive Premier League games, but Costa added it's not all fun and games:

"

When a game comes around, that’s the time to be serious. During the week the training sessions are serious, but away from there, you have to relax and switch off.

We are a family, we spend so much time together, we have to do things that bring us closer together because if not, everything will be too regimented, too professional and I don’t like that, it’s not for me.

"

Mourinho enjoyed success after returning to Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2013, helping the club clinch the 2014-15 Premier League title, and Costa's arrival from Atletico Madrid aided the push to that triumph.

Despite Mourinho's previous exploits at Stamford Bridge, it's perhaps Conte who is leading the club to heights they never knew they could reach, and broadcaster Deji Kofi Faremi provided another recent insight into how his mind works:

Costa in particular appears to have benefited from Conte's transition to the Blues helm, and he leads the Premier League's top-scorer race with 14 goals so far this season.

It's also to Conte's credit that he has returned the underperforming players of last season to their best this term. Bleacher Report's Garry Hayes recently hailed those rejuvenating properties:

Costa's comments detail just how important it is for a manager to show a softened approach at any club, proving tactics can come unstuck if the tools through which they operate are lacking.

That was the story of Mourinho's final months during his second spell as Stamford Bridge, but the players have quickly proved that was little more than a blip in their careers—Costa, as much as anybody else.

Conte does boast a considerable advantage over some of his Premier League peers in that Chelsea don't have a European campaign to worry about this year, although that's likely to change next season.

That said, one thing unlikely to alter is Conte's approach to keeping things fun and light off the pitch while full of fury on it, and it's a formula that has worked its magic thus far.