‘I had to return to Chelsea after breaking promise – but I don’t regret leaving’

A former Chelsea star has discussed his reasons for leaving and rejoining the Blues

David Luiz rejoined Chelsea after breaking a vow to the club during his time at Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian defender was part of Premier League and Champions League-winning squads across his two spells at Stamford Bridge, making a combined 248 appearances for the Blues.

Luiz initially signed from Benfica in January 2011 and quickly became a fan favourite as he helped guide Chelsea to FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League glory. His standout performances led to a £50million move to PSG in 2014, which was a world-record fee for a defender at the time.

The iconic centre-back crossed paths with his former club in the Champions League round of 16 during his debut season. The two sides are set to meet at the same stage of the competition on Wednesday, with Liam Rosenior’s team heading to the Parc des Princes for the first leg.

Upon his return to Stamford Bridge in March 2015, Luiz scored a late equaliser to force the clash into extra time, with PSG eventually advancing on away goals courtesy of future Chelsea star Thiago Silva. However, Luiz apologised for breaking his promise after celebrating his crucial goal.

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“Tonight was good for me to score,” he said. “I said I wouldn’t celebrate but my emotions I couldn’t control. Thank you to Chelsea and sorry I celebrated because I was so emotional.”

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Despite still feeling a sense of loyalty to Chelsea, the Brazil international had previously insisted that he had left the club at the right time. Discussing his move to PSG, he admitted turning down a new deal in favour of joining Laurent Blanc’s team.

“Chelsea offered me a new contract to stay but it was my choice to come here,” Luiz explained in October 2014. “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.”

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Luiz won a remarkable eight trophies during his two years with the French outfit before making an emotional return to Chelsea in 2016, citing the unfinished business of claiming England’s top prize as the reason he had to return. And in his first season back with the Blues, the new £34m centre-back fulfilled his ambition of winning the Premier League as Antonio Conte’s side marched to the title.

“I had already won several titles with Chelsea, played my part in a beautiful period in the club’s history and made so many friends,” Luiz told FourFourTwo magazine in May 2017. “I thought it was time to move on, so I had no regrets. But things change quickly in football.

“Winning the Premier League has always been an obsession of mine. We’ve worked hard to make this dream come true.”

The 38-year-old remained with Chelsea for a further two seasons until signing for Arsenal in 2019. In January, he returned to Stamford Bridge with Cypriot outfit Pafos, who finished 26th in the Champions League group phase, narrowly missing out on the play-off round.

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