In dropping defender David Luiz, Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte has sent a very hard line message to his team. The message, which should be heard loud and clear, conveys that anybody can be dropped at any time, no matter their salary or previous praise from the manager.
Just a few weeks ago, Conte hailed Luiz as his team’s best defender. On numerous occasions, Conte has called the Brazilian a “very important” player, yet here he was dropped, not even given a seat on the bench and entirely frozen out for the Blues’ biggest game of the season at home versus Manchester United.
Andreas Christensen filled in for the player brought back to Stamford Bridge from Paris Saint-Germain on summer transfer window deadline day 2016, and Conte hailed the replacement’s performance as amazing.
Then, in an interview with Sky Sports, the Italian said he didn’t know whether David Luiz even still had a future at the bridge, but then later walked back that idea in his post-match news conference.
“The coach has to make the best decision for the team, and tonight the best decision for the team was to play with Christensen and to have, on the bench, (Ethan) Ampadu. Another young player, a really good player for the present and the future. Then I decided in this way tonight.”
“Maybe in the future I can decide a different way, or continue in this way. That’s normal. I must take the best decision for the club, not for a single player. Sometimes I can make mistakes. Sometimes I can do the best things for my team.”
When questioned specifically on the case of David Luiz, he said: “It’s only a tactical decision. It’s normal. This can happen to every one of my players, if I see that they are not in good form. It’s normal. I repeat: I have to put my face in every situation, and then to sometimes make important decisions. Today I did this and I think Christensen played a massive game. I was very happy for this.
“I think that I have a squad. I have a squad with 16 senior players, and five young players. I have these players, and then I repeat I have to make the best decision for the team. I try to do this.”
Furthermore, Conte was asked how Luiz’s place in the team had done a total 180. The Blues boss only responded with: “It can change. It can change.”
According to the Daily Mirror, “Luiz paid the price for questioning Conte’s tactics in a team meeting last week.”
Perhaps that is why, as the Mirror put it, “David Luiz was left upset as he was made to watch from the side of the pitch and act as a ball boy.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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