DAVID Luiz has revealed Zlatan Ibrahimovic told him to leave Chelsea for Paris Saint-Germain during last season’s Champions League clash between the two sides.The pair met in the first leg of the quarter-finals last season, during which the striker approached the Brazil defender and urged him to quit the Blues for the French capital.
Ibrahimovic came off injured in the second half of that game, which PSG won 3-1, before Chelsea’s 2-0 second leg win sent them through to the semi-finals on away goals.
Luiz subsequently decided to swap London for Paris and joined the Ligue 1 champions for a reported +60 million last summer and he has now admitted his team-mate played a key role in his decision.
“There are two Zlatans: one the media portrays and then the real one,” the versatile defender is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. “He was one of the big reasons that I chose to join Paris.
“When Chelsea played Paris he said to me during the game,’ you need to come and play with us next season.’
“He is one of the best players in the world, and a great guy.”
David Luiz is now hoping Ibrahimovic can help shoot down his former club when the two sides meet again in the last 16 of this season’s Champions League, with PSG set to host Chelsea on Tuesday night.
However, the centre-back insists he harbours no ill feeling towards his former boss Jose Mourinho, despite the coach’s claim earlier this season that his side are better off without him.
“Mourinho and I have a mutual respect and I will shake his hand,” he added.
“Of course Mourinho knows Zlatan well from Inter and will have a plan to try and stop him, but when Zlatan is on form he is unstoppable.”