David Luiz bounces into the sweeping entrance hall of the Royal Monceau Hotel and some well-to-do Parisians taking afternoon tea instantly recognise the Twiglet-haired defender.
‘Geezers,’ he exclaims, falling back on his favourite English word when he spots the faces of some friends waiting for him after the morning’s training session with Paris Saint-Germain.
‘The first word I learned in England was “geezers”,’ revealed Luiz during an intriguing walk-through of his three-and-a-half-year career with Chelsea.
‘I didn’t speak one word when I arrived — even “good morning” was difficult. “Bulldog” (Chelsea’s coach driver) taught me them all. Mashed potato, rice and beef were the next words. But geezer — if you are happy, you are a geezer.’
He also spills some of the secrets of the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, when he played with a nine-inch tear in his hamstring and sledged Mario Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger throughout.
‘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,’ he admitted. ‘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 (feigns horror) — “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 team-mates 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. You can check.’ He is right. In one of them, against PSG at the Parc des Princes last April, he scored an own goal during a 3-1 defeat in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
It was a chaotic night in Chelsea’s defence. When Javier Pastore scored the third in the 90th minute, Mourinho pre-empted the handshakes by congratulating every member of PSG’s coaching staff.
‘I do not know why he did — maybe he wanted to go early to go to the toilet? I don’t know.’
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