David Luiz says he has no regrets about leaving Chelsea for Paris Saint-Germain and claimed he turned down a contract at Stamford Bridge to join PSG.
The Brazilian ended his two-and-a-half tear stint in London in the summer when he signed for PSG for £50 million, a new record for a defender. PSG are doing well in Europe after successfully beating Barcelona in France but the team have not been doing too well in the domestic league especially when compared to the exploits of his former employers, who are currently on top of the Premier League with a five point lead.
“I made my choice and I’m happy with my choice,” he said after a 1-1 draw with Monaco that left PSG seven points behind the Ligue 1 leaders, Marseille. “I’m happy to see my friends at Chelsea playing very well, and I’m happy to be here.
“They’ve been doing very well for many, many years. It’s important to finish well, not just the beginning.”
Jose Mourinho said after Luiz’s departure that his team is better off without him as the club had strengthened both in defensive and midfield position. But, rather than being ushered out of the door, Luiz says that the club had sought to retain his services for longer.
“Chelsea offered me a new contract to stay but it was my choice to come here,” he said. “I was happy with the plan PSG offered to me and I think it was exactly the right moment to move. I was so happy at Chelsea – I won two titles, I won another title for the FA Cup, so it was great for me.
“I’m a lucky guy. I was playing for a big club in Chelsea and now I’ve got another opportunity to play for a big club.”
Despite having a poor outing against league leaders Monaco, David Luiz still believes in his team and insists they will go one better and win in Europe.
“Of course – this is the plan we have,” he said. “We have great, a great coach and it’s a great club. It’s so difficult to win the Champions League – you have to win game by game. You need to qualify first if you want to win.
“Ligue 1 has been criticised for lacking depth and tempo beneath its top clubs, but Luiz believes he is playing at a standard comparable to that of the English league.
“I think here the level is high as well. You can see many teams are playing very well. Of course it’s a bit different about the intensity and the style they play. Here it is more quality than physical.”