Chelsea’s David Luiz is one of the best defenders in the world, according to Euro 2004-winning midfielder Giorgos Karagounis
EURO 2004 winner Giorgos Karagounis has leapt to the defence of Chelsea defender David Luiz, claiming he is one of the best players in the world.
The blunder-prone Blues defender, 29, played alongside the Greek ace, albeit briefly, during their time together at Portuguese side Benfica.
Giorgos Karagounis has leapt to the defence of much-maligned Chelsea’s David LuizPA:Press Association
And Karagounis said that even then, nearly a decade ago, it was easy to see he had the passion to succeed.
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Former Fulham midfielder Karagounis told Goal: “I think that he is one of the best defenders in the world.
“He plays with a lot of passion and the criticism last year wasn’t right as PSG won many titles.
Giorgos Karagounis was part of Greece's Euro 2004-winning squadAP:Associated Press
"I remember him from Benfica when he was young and have only the best memories; he had the passion and hunger to succeed.
"He is a great player.”
Luiz has coppled plenty of flak during his two stints at Chelsea.
David Luiz has made a host of defensive errors over the years at Stamford BridgeAP:Associated Press
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While he is occasionally outrageous on the attacking end of the pitch, his defensive deficiencies has lead to a host of opposition goals.
It has been no different since re-joining the Blues from Ligue 1 giants PSG for a fee around £34million in a late move this summer.
The Brazilian has turned out 148 times for Chelsea - to go with his 55 international caps - netting 12 times, including five in the Champions League.
Giorgos Karagounis and David Luiz played together for one season at BenficaAP:Associated Press
Luiz played alongside Karagounis during the 2006-07 season in the spine of the Benfica starting XI.
The now-Chelsea player went on to feature in 132 games for the Portuguese side, spanning five seasons before his move to the Premier League in 2011.
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