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Atletico Madrid have officially re-signed Filipe Luis from Chelsea, as per reports on the club’s official website. The two teams reached an agreement for the transfer of the full-back for a reported fee of £11 million, just a year after the Brazilian left for Stamford Bridge.
The 29-year-old moved to the Premier League along with fellow Atletico teammate Diego Costa after both players played a pivotal role in their team’s 2013-14 La Liga title win. The £15.8m signing made his debut as a substitute in Chelsea’s 6-3 win over Everton, with his first start for the club coming in their Champions League group match against Schalke. He scored only once for the Blues when he netted a free-kick in their Capital One Cup clash against Derby.
The Brazilian made 26 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side last season and helped them to Capital One Cup and Barclays Premier League successes, but never got a chance to establish himself in the starting XI. He was seen as a back-up to Cesar Azpilicueta and struggled to displace the Spaniard from the first team, which led to reports linking him with a return to his former club in the final few weeks of the season.
Luis returns to the Calderon eager to win more with Atletico
Atletico Madrid are believed to have signed the player on a four-year contract, and their Sporting Director Jose Luis Perez Caminero analysed the new signing on their website, saying, "We all know Filipe Luis. We strengthen ourselves with one of the most talented wingers in the world. He already knows our club and our way of playing so he will adapt quickly."
The news of the transfer was also confirmed on Chelsea’s official website, and the club have passed on their best wishes to the player after his departure.
Filipe Luis was born in Brazil and started his career with Figueirense in 2003. He got his first taste of action in Europe when he moved to Ajax in 2004, although he would spend only one year there. Real Madrid snapped up the defender in 2005 on a five-year contract, but the Brazilian was mostly confined to making appearances for the B team of the La Liga giants.
Luis’ stint at Deportivo La Coruna from 2006-2010 put him on the footballing map, and his impressive performances for the club earned him a €12 million move to the Vicente Calderon in 2010. He would go on to become a first-team regular at the club and had four highly successful years at the club, winning the La Liga, Copa del Rey, Europa League and two UEFA Super Cups.
