David Luiz: "We must beat Unai Emery and Arsenal in the final" | Soccer

reLuiz, pbadionate, had a season rich in events. He is the subject of vocal criticism every time he plays badly and November allowed the Brazilian defender to see the Brazilian defender arguing with a betting company on his account Instagram after the defeat of Chelsea against the Spurs. His role in Bournemouth's second goal during the 4-0 away defeat in January was also the subject of an exhaustive (excessive) badysis. And yet, at the end of the season, here it is: David Luiz has signed a new two-year contract at Stamford Bridge and is about to play the second Europa League final of his blues bifurcated career.

The first, in 2013, was a poignant contest. David Luiz, who was playing a defensive midfielder role, ran into Benfica, the team with whom he made his name in Europe and sold it to Chelsea. two years ago. "It was a tough final," he says now, not only on the field but also emotionally. In the end, we won and I was happy, although I was at the same time a little sad because I had good friends in Benfica. But in football, there can only be one winner.

"It's a totally different opportunity," he continues. "It's a big derby, a big London derby, big opponents, a high level rivalry."

A year after winning the trophy in Amsterdam, David Luiz left Chelsea for Paris St-Germain and spent two seasons among the big names of the new rich club. At the end of his stay at the Parc des Princes, he was coached by Unai Emery, the current manager of Arsenal, who had joined the French club since Seville in 2016.

Only a few weeks separated Emery's arrival and David Luiz's return to Stamford Bridge, but the player left an impression on his coach. The Spaniard has publicly insisted that he would have preferred to keep David Luiz. Last summer, Emery would also have been ready to bring the player to the Emirates Stadium, after David Luiz found himself out of the Chelsea circuit under the direction of Antonio Conte.

It turns out that the heat is reciprocal and David Luiz is happy to talk about Emery. "I think Arsenal is doing very well," he says. "It's never easy to change, especially after many years of 'Mister', Arsène Wenger. Then, Unai came to try to build a new philosophy and win the trust of the players, the fans and the club. I think that he did an amazing job.

"I had the opportunity to work with Unai for a few months. He's a great guy, a great coach, a great person. He is pbadionate. He loves his job. He likes to build enthusiastic teams, playing with pbadion and it shows. He had the opportunity to work with a lot of young players and I think they understood his philosophy.

"In this competition, he knows how to win. That's why Arsenal is here, that's why Unai is here. Again! That's another thing we need to understand: we have to beat Unai and Arsenal in the final. "

David Luiz's place in Chelsea XI in Baku is certain, with Andreas Christensen or Cesar Azpilicueta, his potential partners, while Antonio Rüdiger continues his recovery after a knee injury. The Brazilian's position on the team is different from that of 2013, but his role has not changed completely. What he was asked to do in the midfield under Rafael Benítez – break the game and allow the attack by accelerating with fast pbades – he should now go 15 meters further in the game.

Maurizio Sarri's style of possession suits David Luiz's attributes and he feels justified by the way English football came to him. "I like that," he says. "It's the evolution of football. I remember that when I started, nobody wanted me to play the ball from behind. Everyone wanted me to hit the ball long. It depended on the style of the coach, but now everyone understands.

"The top six in the English league, which have four teams in the European final, are all teams playing the ball from the back, playing a possession game, trying to create. Football is about saving time: if you put the ball in the air, you will lose time. That's why we try to build from behind to give talented players the time to get the ball between the lines and make the difference. "

Now 32-year-old David Luiz believes his role is not only to nurture "talented players", but also to work with younger players. In this way, he says, it may be long enough to compete for more finals.

"To want to learn something every day extends our professional life," he says. "In my work, no matter what work, if we try to learn, we improve. Life evolves this way. All children now, in all jobs, they are faster than us, more creative, faster to understand things. It's up to us to realize that, to be humble. "