David Luiz has insisted that he did not leave Chelsea due to issues with Jose Mourinho. The Brazilian who left Stamford Bridge for French champions PSG in a £50m deal will come up against his former teammates for the first time on Tuesday, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Luiz was signed at Stamford Bridge by Carlo Ancelotti in 2011 and was a key player, as Chelsea won the 2012 Champions League and FA Cup and the 2013 Europa League.
The Brazilian found limited opportunities when Mourinho returned to the club last season, starting just 15 Premier League games for the west London side, often in a holding midfield role. Speculations of a fall-out between the pair were made, with the Portuguese manager later insisting Chelsea would not miss Luiz, yet the defender wanted to set the record straight as he spoke to the Daily Mail and said,
“When Mourinho left Real Madrid he said he wanted to go when he felt good — I was not feeling good and I said I wanted to leave.”
“Chelsea offered me a new contract and I said, ‘I’m not feeling the same thing I was feeling years ago.”
“People tried to make stories about me and Mourinho but we never had any history.”
“He was the boss and he decided who plays and who doesn’t.”
“When he didn’t put David Luiz in, it was — ‘Oh my God’ — but I’m just one more player, no problem.”
“Mourinho is a coach who has a different style. He doesn’t talk to you about your life.”
“As a player you will not know too much about his personal life and he will not know too much about his players.”
“He didn’t try too much because I was in Brazil — he said, ‘It’s OK, you can go’.”
“I had a great life in London, great moments, we were champions of Europe, I had an amazing connection with the fans, my teammates and everyone at the club.”
“But I decided my cycle was finished. I was not playing as much, but I still played in all the big games.”