David Luiz Praises Maurizio Sarri, Wants To Stay In Chelsea

TheSportster

By Lorenzo Tanos

Published Jul 30, 2018

David Luiz wants to stay in Chelsea, and it may have something to do with their new manager Maurizio Sarri.

It wasn’t that long ago that defender David Luiz looked like he was on his way out of Chelsea, as he was hardly given the playing time he deserved in the 2017-18 Premier League season after apparently falling out of favor with former manager Antonio Conte. With Maurizio Sarri replacing Conte, it looks like the 31-year-old Brazilian defender has every intention of staying with the Blues, as hinted at in a recent interview.

In an interview quoted by Sky Sports, Luiz made his plans clear, saying that he “came to Chelsea to stay” after returning to the team in 2016, two years following his departure to Paris Saint Germain. He said that he came back to Stamford Bridge two years ago with hopes of winning a Premier League championship with Chelsea, and is currently “very happy,” largely due to the presence of new manager Sarri and his switch to a 4-3-3 formation from the 3-4-3 setup previously favored by Conte.

"I love Sarri's philosophy. We play high, with a lot of possession in a technical way. He's trying to help us every single day to learn quickly his philosophy,” Luiz continued.

"A new philosophy always takes time. But it also depends on us. If we're dedicated every day and doing things every single day in training, we're trying to learn quickly."

Commenting on rumors that Chelsea is planning to add some new defenders to its lineup, Luiz said that it would be a “positive challenge” if he gets to fight to keep his starting job due to the presence of blood on the team.

As recalled by the Telegraph, Luiz’s first year back in Chelsea was a productive one, as he did achieve his goal of winning the Premier League, and played a key role in that 2016-17 championship run, suiting up in 33 games and starting for the team. That changed the very next season, as then-manager Conte dropped Luiz from the rotation due to alleged insubordination during a player’s meeting. Who Scored shows Luiz playing in only 10 games, including nine starts, in 2017-18.

Although it’s hard for any player, regardless of the sport, to ride the bench just one year after a successful, productive season for a championship team, Luiz saw the positive side of his demotion and remarked that he is now fully rested and injury-free as Chelsea prepares to enter the 2018-19 Premier League season, according to the Telegraph. So far, he has started in Sarri’s first two preseason games as manager.