Mourinho doused halftime row with Costa with 'kisses and cuddles'

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said he and striker Diego Costa have made up with "kisses and cuddles" after their halftime row in Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League win over Israeli opponents Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The pair appeared to be engaged in an angry exchange of views as they headed towards the players' tunnel at halftime.

Mourinho took issue with Costa's lack of movement in the first-half but the Spain international went on to finish the match after the 52-year-old Portuguese displayed a more tender side in the dressing room.

[FULL MATCH REPORT: Chelsea hit four to beat 10-man Maccabi Tel-Aviv]

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Costa was involved in the major flashpoint of the first-half, after he was chopped down by a terrible challenge from Maccabi's Tal Ben Haim, which led to the former Chelsea defender receiving his marching orders.

"With Diego I wanted him to do a certain movement that he didn't and I was disappointed and reacted and he reacted too, but at halftime in the dressing room there were a few kisses and cuddles," Mourinho told reporters after the game.

mourinho costa

Image credit: Imago

Mourinho blamed the poor pitch at Haifa's Sammy Ofer Stadium for the ankle injury to John Terry which is expected to see the Chelsea captain ruled out of Sunday's Premier League clash at Tottenham.

"The surface was bad and dangerous," Mourinho said. "John has an ankle problem that we don't know yet the dimension of.

"For John to leave the pitch with the result 1-0 I know already that he is in trouble. My medical department is really good. John is a special guy, with a special desire to recover."

[FULL STORY: Mourinho criticises Maccabi pitch after Terry hurt in Chelsea's win]

Chelsea's win moved them level on 10 points with Mourinho's former side Porto at the top of Group G.

The two meet in their final group game on December 9, when a point for Mourinho's side will be enough to see them progress to the last 16.

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