David Luiz has revealed the moment he knew Chelsea would win the Champions League in 2012.
Didier Drogba scored the decisive penalty as Chelsea became the first London side to lift Europe’s premier tournament in 2012, as Roberto Di Matteo’s side beat German side Bayern Munich in a shoot-out in the final.
Luiz was part of the team which lifted the trophy, but admits it was a moment in the last-16 first leg with Napoli that changed the club’s mentality.
Chelsea lost the first-leg 3-1 in Naples, before turning the tie round at Stamford Bridge to progress 5-4 on aggregate, but Luiz admits a goal line clearance from defender Ashley Cole in the first leg was the moment the club began to believe.
‘It was the moment of that season because of what happened, everybody knows, but also because we saw how you can change moments of your life if you really want to do something,’ Luiz told chelseafc.com.
‘That feeling touched every single heart. And not just because of the score. For me the second leg started in the first leg, when Ashley Cole saved a goal on the line. I remember everybody was praising him afterwards, even though we lost 3-1. ‘Well done Ash, okay, let’s go!’
‘We said after the game that ball Ashley Cole saved is for some reason. Everybody started to believe in that feeling, everybody started to believe in that moment. It touched every heart, and we all thought let’s do something special in our lives.
‘We did that, and for football or professional mentality, when you do something like that it brings back your confidence, your strength, your dream. It was a different atmosphere. That game was the game where we thought it could be possible.
‘Football is magic because of this kind of stuff. Anything can happen. The atmosphere, the great vibe, the good energy, the positive moments.
‘Ashley still believed in the next 90 minutes. Maybe he was the right one. He saved the ball and celebrated. He understood it was not just that game. He was an example for us. And the second leg is still in our heads today.’
