‘Sometimes in life you just have to say thank you and enjoy it,’ David Luiz said back in September, when the Chelsea cult hero discovered he will have the chance to play at Stamford Bridge for likely the final time of his career.
Luiz could yet be robbed of that chance with the now 38-year-old defender sweating over an injury that could rule him out of Pafos’ Champions League tie against the Blues on Wednesday evening.
The Brazilian has travelled to London and will undoubtedly be warmly received by the Chelsea fans upon his return to the club.
Luiz went from being derided famously as a ‘PlayStation footballer’ in his early months at the club in 2011 by Gary Neville – something the pundit later admitted he regretted saying – to becoming a key part of multiple trophy winning teams at the Bridge.
In total, Luiz made 248 appearances for Chelsea across seven years at the club – which were split by a two-season spell at PSG.
While Luiz’s distinctive hair and penchant for a spectacular goal made him a cult hero, there was also substance having been a key part of Chelsea’s maiden Champions League winning side in 2012.
David Luiz, 38, is set to return to Chelsea on Wednesday night with Cypriot side Pafos
Luiz won the Champions League at Chelsea, as well as the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup
The Brazilian was a cult hero in his two spells at Chelsea scored some memorable goals
The Brazilian also won the Premier League in 2017, won the FA Cup twice and claimed two Europa League winners medals with the Blues.
His last appearance came in their Europa League final win over Arsenal in 2019, before joining the beaten finalists and winning an FA Cup in a two-year spell.
Speaking last year, Luiz welcomed the opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge once again as his career approaches its conclusion.
‘I’m going to play against Chelsea with my heart totally full of energy,’ Luiz told the BBC. ‘Also to say thank you for everybody. But also to give my best in the pitch because also everybody wants to see that.
‘So it’s going to be a moment where I’m going to be so happy and the game is going to be hard for us, for sure. Sometimes in life you just have to say thank you and enjoy it.
‘Nobody expected many things for us in the Champions League, but I think we can do something special. It’s going to be a big opportunity for us to show our qualities for the world.’
Luiz is the most recognisable name in a Pafos team that has enjoyed a credible debut campaign in the Champions League this season. A victory over Villarreal and three draws have given the Cypriot side a chance of qualifying for the play-off round of the competition with two matches remaining.
Despite his advancing years, Luiz has played an important role and scored his first goal in the competition for eight years back in November, netting with a trademark header in a 2-2 draw against Monaco.
After two years at Arsenal, Luiz returned to his boyhood club Flamengo and enjoyed a trophy laden spell at the Brazilian club
Luiz was hit by a series of injuries while at the club, but made 132 appearances in four seasons
Luiz won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo in 2022, with the defender one of just 14 players to have won both Europe and South America’s biggest club competitions
While Wednesday night’s match will see Luiz in action in England again, the Brazilian has continued to enjoy success since leaving the Premier League in 2021.
Luiz re-joined his boyhood club Flamengo in 2021 after his contract at Arsenal expired, reportedly turning down offers from European sides to make his return.
‘Many people have advised and shown me how big this challenge would have been, which I face with humility,’ Luiz said upon signing.
‘These are difficult decisions to make but they are well thought out. I wanted to be here, because I know the greatness of this project and this challenge. Flamengo has always been great and always will be. For me it is another big challenge.
‘I had different scenarios to choose from but I know I made the right decision. I will have a more peaceful life, but I like to do what my heart tells me.’
He made 132 appearances in his second spell at the club, despite suffering from a series of injury problems, with trophies continuing to flow.
Luiz was named in the team of the tournament as Flamengo won the Copa Libertadores in 2022, becoming just the 14th player to have triumphed in both Europe and South America’s biggest club competitions.
Further medals came in the form of two Copa do Brasil wins and the Campeonato Carioca.
Luiz went viral last year after a photo showed him with a bald patch on his head during a game
After leaving Flamengo last year, Luiz made seven appearances for Fortaleza but his spell at the Brazilian side was best known for a viral image of the defender.
Fans had been left stunned by an image of Luiz, with the former Chelsea man seen with a visible bald patch.
It led to Luiz releasing a video with his barber, as he explained how he had been dealing with a hair loss issue for some time.
‘Over the years, I’ve lost a little hair. I have treated baldness for many years,’ Luiz said.
‘I used to be a cap lover back in the beginning. Now, over the years I have much more difficulty to leave the hair as I liked, the one fullest of curls, the curly way I liked it.
‘It was a lot more work too. It was easier for me to put on the cap and do the style this way.’
In the video, Luiz removed his cap to reveal that he still have his flowing hair but admitted it had been thinning, leading to a shorter haircut.
Luiz’s barber cut some of his hair shorter, with the defender jokingly stating ‘Where did you stick the baldness!?’ in response to his transformation.
During his time at Pafos, Luiz’s flowing hair has remained but the defender has often completed his new look with a headband.
Luiz revealed how he is dealing with baldness as he showed his hair before and after a haircut
His time at Fortaleza proved short-lived, with Luiz admitting to having differences with then coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda.
‘Unfortunately, it didn’t go the way I wanted. I aspired to certain things, but it didn’t happen the way I envisioned, which is also part of football.
‘I played very few games, but I understood that the best way to respect the club was to move on to another challenge, because it hadn’t worked out the way we expected.
‘I still have the same affection and admiration for Marcelo Paz, who is a tremendous guy. I still have the same admiration for the Fortaleza fans, who are a tremendous fanbase and make the team win games.
‘I still have the same respect for Vojvoda, even though we think about football in different ways, we had a very good human relationship.’
Luiz has also been forced to fight off-the-pitch allegations, after a social worker accused him of threatening her after she declined to have a threesome with him – leading to a court issuing a restraining order.
Francisca Karollainy Barbosa Cavalcante claimed that Luiz, who is engaged to his girlfriend Bruna Loureiro, had warned her about his ‘money and power’.
Cavalcante made further allegations, accusing Luiz of saying her son could ‘pay the consequences’, with a third threat claimed to have stated: ‘I can simply make you disappear.’
Karol Cavalcante last year accused Luiz of issuing threats after she allegedly rejected having a threesome with the former Brazilian international – a claim he denies
Luiz is engaged to Bruna Loureiro (pictured) with whom he has two daughters
Luiz’s representatives released a statement denying he had met Cavalcante in person – with the Brazilian beginning a lawsuit against her for defamation and slander
Cavalcante claimed said Luiz offered her £14,000 after she came forward with the allegations – after which she claims he told her ‘to disappear from his life’ and added that she refused the payout.
Luiz began legal proceedings against Cavalcante in September, with his representatives issuing a statement in which the footballer confirmed he had exchanged messages with the social worker but they had never met in person.
‘Although there was a brief interaction via messages, there was never any face-to-face meeting between David Luiz and the person making the contrary allegations,’ a statement read.
‘According to an official statement from the Magna Praia Hotel, there is no record of the player staying at the hotel to date.
‘David Luiz reaffirms his commitment to the truth and trusts that the facts will be duly clarified.’
In September, Brazilian police seized Cavalcante’s phone during a search of her home, while her representatives claimed it had been voluntarily handed over amid the legal case.
The allegations and Luiz decision to launch a lawsuit for slander and defamation, came just a month after the Brazilian had announced his return to European football with Pafos.
The Cypriot champions are bankrolled by Roman Dubov, a Russian businessman with British citizenship. Pafos hailed Luiz as a ‘global superstar’ and a ‘titan of modern football’ when announcing his arrival.
Luiz joined Pafos in August and has welcomed the chance to thank Chelsea and their fans when he returns to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday
‘Pafos FC is proud to announce the signing of Brazilian football icon David Luiz, who joins the club on a contract until 2027,’ the club stated.
‘This landmark transfer marks the most historic moment in Cypriot football — the arrival of a global superstar whose name has echoed in the world’s greatest stadiums.
‘From the sacred pitches of Brazil to the brightest stages of Europe, David Luiz’s career is a journey of passion, character, and excellence.
‘David Luiz Moreira Marinho is a true titan of modern football. For over 15 years, he has competed at the pinnacle of the sport, earning admiration around the globe for his commanding presence, technical brilliance, and unmistakable charisma. Throughout his illustrious career, he has left a lasting legacy at every club he has represented.
‘And now, he brings his unmatched experience, charisma, and warrior spirit to the land of myths, to write a new chapter with Pafos FC.’
Luiz has made 20 appearances for the club to date, with his most recent seeing him limp off with an injury after 12 minutes against Olympiakos Nicosia.
The defender will hope to shake off the issue to line-up at Stamford Bridge and perhaps enjoy another high-profile moment in his colourful career.
