Former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis had told FourFourTwo that he never fell out with former boss Jose Mourinho, but admits the Portuguese's methods may have led to his downfall at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December with the Blues in 16th place, one point above the relegation zone.
Having already been dumped out of the League Cup by Stoke, the Blues scraped through their Champions League group before bowing out against PSG. Form has improved under Guus Hiddink, but Chelsea look certain to miss out on European football for next season.
Luis left Stamford Bridge last summer for former club Atletico Madrid, and has offered some insight into why the reigning Premier League champions have endured such a disappointing campaign.
I think that’s one of the reasons why he loses the dressing room sometimes. He asks so much of his players that some can’t handle it for too long.
Speaking exclusively in the May 2016 of FourFourTwo magazine, the 30-year-old said: “Speaking about Mourinho is always controversial and there’s always some intrigue surrounding him, but he is an awesome coach who tries to take the maximum from each and every one of his players.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why he loses the dressing room sometimes. He asks so much of his players that some can’t handle it for too long. In my case, we got along very well and he helped me when I wanted to rejoin Atletico. He’s a very good coach. It’s just a pity I wasn’t able to convince him that I should start for Chelsea.”
Luis endured a tough 2014/15 at Stamford Bridge, starting only nine Premier League games, and subsequently re-joined Atletico in the summer.
He originally arrived in Madrid from Deportivo La Coruna in 2010, and was part of the Rojiblancos side which won La Liga for the first time in 18 years. He also featured in their 2014 Champions League Final defeat to Real Madrid.
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His sparkling form led to Chelsea swooping for both him and his team-mate, Diego Costa. But rare first-team opportunities meant he was never really settled, and when the opportunity arose to link back up with Diego Simeone's side he didn't hesitate.
When Atletico tried to buy me back, I did everything I could to make it possible.
“It’s my fifth season now at Atletico and they have been the best years of my life. I feel at home in Madrid. I have always felt important, wanted and trusted by everyone here.
“When I left for Chelsea, I wanted to prove that I could play in the Premier League, but it didn’t happen the way I dreamed. When Atletico tried to buy me back, I did everything I could to make it possible. I had offers from clubs in France and Italy but I would not have left Chelsea for any other side – only for Atletico Madrid.”
Read the full interview with Filipe Luis in the May 2016 issue of FourFourTwo magazine, which also features exclusive chats with Xavi, Jay Rodriguez and David Bentley. Plus, we reveal the Top 50 players in the Football League, travel to Vitesse Arnhem to find out what life is like as Chelsea’s feeder club, recall the history of music in football, hear from Benik Afobe on how to score at any level and ask: is there any point in crossing the ball ? Available in print, on iPad and iPhone from April 6. Subscribe!
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