Antonio Conte on David Luiz: 'I have a great responsibility to improve him'

Posted Saturday, September 10, 2016 by ESPN

Antonio Conte on David Luiz: 'I have a great responsibility to improve him'
Brazilian defender David Luiz will have the attention of boss Antonio Conte at Chelsea.

Antonio Conte says it is his responsibility to help David Luiz iron out his defensive weaknesses at Chelsea, but warns he will not be happy if the Brazilian loses concentration or discipline on the pitch.

Luiz began training with the rest of the Chelsea squad at Cobham on Tuesday after finalising a reported £34 million move from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day, only two years after the Ligue 1 champions paid £50m to take him from Stamford Bridge.

The Brazilian attracted criticism throughout his first spell at Chelsea, with many observers and pundits accusing him of being erratic and unreliable in his defensive positioning and decision-making.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday to preview Chelsea's Premier League clash with Swansea City, Conte was keen to focus on the qualities that Luiz will bring to his squad, but added that he expects the 29-year-old to put in the necessary work to curb his wilder impulses during matches.

Asked about the mixed public reaction to Luiz's return, Conte replied: "I'm a bit surprised with this situation. I think David is a good player and he showed this in his career. He won a lot. Also, in some situations, he lost. But I think that David Luiz is a good defender, a good centre-back. I'm very happy that he's here.

"I don't like to speak about the past. Now I'm the coach of David Luiz. Also, I have a great responsibility to improve him in these aspects. If someone thinks that this player loses his concentration during the game, my task is to improve him in that aspect. I'm not afraid about this.

"If he must improve in some aspects, I'm here for this reason -- to improve my players. To work on any weaknesses and make them stronger. It's important. If it happens that, during a game, a player loses concentration, I don't like this. But he's my player."

Conte enjoyed considerable success working with defenders at Juventus, refining the complementary skills of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli into a formidable three-man defence that has underpinned five consecutive Serie A title triumphs, and he says he sees similar potential for growth in Luiz.

"It's important to remember that when I started at Juventus, with Chiellini, Bonucci and Barzagli, the defence of Juventus had been conceding a lot of goals," Conte added.

"I remember that, before my arrival, many people told me: 'No good, these defenders. No good.' But then I started to work with them, I found a great commitment and attitude.

"Then, through the work, I think that now we are talking about three of the best defenders in the world when we talk about Chiellini, Bonucci and Barzagli. But remember, when we started in that first year at Juventus, it wasn't so."

Luiz could be in line to make his first Chelsea appearance since returning at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, though Conte has revealed that he and fellow deadline-day signing Marcos Alonso are unlikely to start the match.