Luiz targets Europa League crown

Chelsea became the first Champions League holders to crash out of the competition before Christmas on Wednesday night.



The Blues' 6-1 win over Nordsjaelland in their final Group E game proved futile as Juventus won away to Shakhtar Donetsk to consign Chelsea to the continent's second-tier competition for the first time in the Roman Abramovich era.



But defender Luiz declared there was no point "crying" over what was a moment of unwanted history for the club 200 days after the greatest night they had ever known.



And while the Europa League has found itself painted as the Champions League's ugly sister, it would give Chelsea the chance to briefly hold both titles at the same time.



Luiz said: "The Europa League is glamorous for me. I don't have this title so I want to win it.



"I look to the Europa League like I did the Champions League because I don't have this medal.



"We can do great things in this competition."



The Brazil star - who will miss Chelsea's first Europa League match after incurring a ban for his latest yellow card on Wednesday night - added: "You have great games in the Europa League. There are great teams in this competition.



"Chelsea don't have this competition so they need to win this title."



That is exactly what Chelsea did in the Champions League last season in ending their agonising wait to be crowned kings of Europe.



Their reign will technically continue until May, but that was scant consolation to the club's red-faced players last night.



"There was embarrassment in the dressing room and also sadness," Luiz said.



"We won the Champions League last season and to get knocked out after the group stage is a great disappointment.



"This is a big club and big clubs deserve to play in big games.



"The best games in the world are in the Champions League."



To make matters worse for Chelsea, their alarming slump in the Barclays Premier League has left them in real danger of failing to qualify for next season's competition.



Anything other than a first league win in eight attempts at Sunderland on Saturday and they could arrive in Japan for the Club World Cup outside the top four.



Even a victory may not be enough to prevent them surrendering a Champions League spot in their absence, with their rivals all playing another fixture in that time.



Luiz said: "I am sad but football is quick and we have another game in two days and another big competition in one week.



"I can't spend three or four nights crying - you have to look to the next match.



"We have a difficult game on Saturday so need to change our mood.



"Chelsea need to play in the Champions League every year and the players have this inside our heads."



Europa League football could make that even more difficult, with the Thursday night fixtures and subsequent Sunday Premier League games regarded by many as a disadvantage domestically.



But Luiz said: "This is a big club. I love to play games. I prefer doing that than training."



Luiz's penalty set Chelsea on their way to their biggest ever Champions League win on Wednesday night, while he also ended the evening in midfield.



Many commentators have called for the outrageously-gifted but error-prone defender to be deployed in the middle of the park.



Interim manager Rafael Benitez revealed he would consider using Luiz there again after what was his first victory in charge at the fourth attempt.

Five reason why team-mates won't pass to Torres

Jason Burt on the lessons that Rafael Benítez will draw from his side's Champions League rout.

1. Apathy has replaced anger

There was a smattering of boos as he emerged from the tunnel but Rafael Benítez was largely ignored by the Chelsea supporters. There were the now obligatory placards and the chants of “One Di Matteo” but there wasn’t the bear-pit atmosphere of his past two home games. Maybe that was because of this flat Champions League occasion. Maybe the anger aimed at Benítez is subsiding. He will desperately hope it’s the latter.



2. David Luiz can be a leader

The Brazilian defender is so often pilloried for his lapses but here he took responsibility. After Eden Hazard’s woeful penalty was saved, and with Fernando Torres dithering, Luiz took the ball and drilled it into the net for Chelsea’s next spot-kick to gain the first goal. He was also a relatively vocal presence on the pitch and helped to drive his lacklustre team forward adding much-needed dynamism.



3. Team-mates are reluctant to pass to Torres

He may have scored twice but there’s a clear sense that the struggling striker has lost the faith of some of those around him. Time and again Juan Mata, Hazard and Ramires thought twice about picking out Torres’s runs and when they did find him the move often broke down. The celebrations for his goals were also muted. It did not add up to any sense of unity.



4. Ivanovic is struggling

He is not alone but, until recently, the Serbian defender had been a model of consistency. There were signs of frailty against West Ham, when he was bullied by Carlton Cole, and last night he was beaten far too often and failed to close down Joshua John for the visitors’ goal.



5. Hazard should dribble more

The Belgian started the season on fire, running with the ball, beating opponents, creating goals but has suffered a dip to his confidence while – rightly – his lack of work off the ball, especially defensively, has been criticised. However, he comes alive when he runs at defences as he showed when creating Torres’s second goal and needs to be encouraged to do more of the same.



Source - Telegraph

Things not good at Chelsea

David Luiz has confirmed reports that there was a heated exchange of views in the Chelsea dressing room in the wake of the 2-1 defeat to West Brom on Saturday.



There were widespread reports that staff and players were involved in a heated dispute after the final whistle at The Hawthorns with some media outlets suggesting that shouts could be heard in the West Brom dressing room.



Chelsea have won just two points from a possible 12 and it has been claimed that manager Roberto Di Matteo is fighting for his future at Stamford Bridge just six months after guiding the Blues to Champions League glory.



The reports of the heated exchange did little to quell the rumours and Luiz has confirmed that voices were raised in the dressing room after the loss.



“We were upset and angry, disappointed because we should have won the game,” Luiz confirmed. “There were raised voices. It’s normal. This is a big club and we don’t like to lose games. But all we can do now is look ahead to the next game.



“It’s not good at the moment, because we started the season at the top of the league. But all the big teams have come to West Brom and it has not been easy for them. West Brom have a good philosophy and a great coach, but we are disappointed because Chelsea want to be top of the table always.”



Chelsea travel to Italy to face Juventus in their penultimate Group E match in the Champions League on Tuesday and Luiz believes it is the perfect opportunity for Di Matteo’s side to get back to winning ways.



“What’s past is past, and the future is Juventus. It will be difficult and Juventus are a great team. They are just one point behind us. This is the most important game in the group,” he added.



“In the Champions League, we have a great opportunity to qualify even though Juventus and Shakhtar are both great teams.



“But we will never forget how important the Premier League is. There is a bit of a gap at the top and we don’t want to get too far behind the other teams. In two or three games, everything can change and Chelsea will be fighting for the top of the league again.”