Chelsea defender David Luiz has opened up about his return to Stamford Bridge last summer, and what sort of risks he took when leaving all-winning Paris Saint-Germain for Antonio Conte’s Blues.
Many may have thought that the biggest risk with David Luiz’s return was on Chelsea, who invested £32m on the centre-back who wasn’t rated too highly during his first spell at the West London club.
Even Luiz himself claimed it was hard to leave for a “country that was not happy with me”.
The 30-year-old still thinks he made the very right decision when taking the gamble he wanted to take, as he hasn’t only won the Premier League title on his first season back in England, but also resuscitated his reputation and appreciation from all football fans and professionals in the league.
“I was winning in Paris. I went to Paris for two years and won all the titles in France. I had a great life, I had a great credibility with the club.
I had everything in Paris and then I took a risk to come back to a country that was not that happy with me. They always criticize me a lot even with the Champions League, Europa League and playing all the games. That’s why it was a risk and I love the risk.
If you don’t take risks in your life you never feel something new, so I taste something new and I like that. I don’t like to stay always with the easy life, so that’s why I took the risk and today I am very happy.
I had to take a risk to feel something good for me, not for the others. I’m very happy because I took the decision and it was the right decision.
I cut my salary to come back here. But it’s OK, God has given me a lot so I’m happy with this.
David Luiz hasn’t only been made one of the best defenders in the league by Antonio Conte, but the Italian has also transferred the Brazilian into a leading character off the pitch, helping the Chelsea team that finished last season poorly to rejuvenate themselves with his positive mind-set and strong mentality.
“Conte is a great person, a great character and he’s passionate – he loves football. The day I arrived here we talked together and he tried to explain his philosophy to play football.
He said to me, ‘You are the player I want in my team and to improve my team’, and then I said to him, ‘I’m going to work hard for you and for the team’, and that’s it.
I’m working hard since the beginning of my career. I think to play 10 years consecutively in big clubs is not easy, so I’m trying to give my best every season.
I think I tried to improve as a person, as a brother, as a son, as a friend every day. If you don’t want to learn everybody will pass you, so I try to improve every day.
Last season was not a good season for Chelsea and this season we did great since the beginning, not just because of me, I think because of everybody. Because of the commitment, the desire, the mentality we put on the pitch every day until today. Every day we are working hard and that’s why we deserve it.”
– David Luiz, Telegraph
The gamble both Chelsea and David Luiz when deciding to reunite last summer has paid off, and with some style.
