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David Luiz has shot down accusations of him elbowing Chelsea striker Diego Costa during the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 match at Stamford Bridge. Blues manager Jose Mourinho, in the post-match conference, insisted that Luiz should have been sent off for elbowing Costa.
PSG's drew the match 2-2 to knock Chelsea out of the tournament on away goals. The French side came back twice to snatch a draw despite playing with 10 men for most of the match after striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off controversially in the 31st minute.
Costa elbowed me: Luiz
Luiz, who left Chelsea for PSG last summer, has hit back at the accusation saying it was Costa who used his elbow on him during the clash.
The Brazilian said, “Mourinho can say what he wants. Maybe he should talk about when Costa gave me an elbow in the diaphragm early on. I didn't elbow Costa. He's a very good friend and a fantastic guy. It's always a battle to play against him and I'm very happy for him."
“When I was by the touchline I was speaking with him about the red card. I always believe in my team and I just said how much I trusted us to win the game. And I was right, we did win.”
Luiz hails team-spirit
Luiz played a crucial role in the match scoring the first equalizer in the 86th minute. His goal forced the extra time where Chelsea took the lead again via an Eden Hazard penalty only to see it cancelled out by PSG captain Thiago Silva. Both the French side’s goals came from corners.
Luiz described the goals and his relationship with his former club, saying, “Chelsea are normally strong at set pieces so you do not expect to score against them like that, but just because they conceded from corners, it does not mean they are not strong anymore."
“Chelsea are an amazing club, who gave me many things during my time in England. But now I am a Paris player and I am very happy to be here and into the next round of the Champions League. It was amazing, the spirit, the players gave everything. When we lost Ibra we said we had to keep it simple.”
Ibrahimovic takes fresh swipe at Chelsea
PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is likely to face a one-match ban for his red card during the match, has taken a fresh swipe at the Chelsea players indicating that their reaction to his tackle prompted the referee to brandish the car.
The 33-year-old Swede said, “It's ridiculous. The referee saw all their players jumping and waving. I was pissed off. I understood nothing -- I did not think it was true when I walked off the pitch."
“I did not know what I minded most -- the referee or Chelsea players jumping around. If the referee gives a red card in one of these important matches, he must be 200 percent sure. He must know what he is doing and be in control.”
Ibrahimovic’s case is set to be examined by UEFA next Thursday.
