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Chelsea striker Diego Costa is on his way out of the club after he revealed Antonio Conte told him he was no longer needed at Chelsea via text.

According to Daily Mirror, Costa immediately tried to reach Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to intervene and overrule Conte’s message but Abramovich reportedly sided Conte.

Abramovich had always favoured Chelsea stars to managers in the past but Abramovich’s decision to neglect the pleas of Costa is a clear statement that the days of player power at Chelsea are long gone.

The likes of Andre Villas Boas, Luiz Felipe Scolari and even Jose Mourinho were all undermined by the players at Chelsea but Abramovich appears to have learned from the experience.