Few European clubs have enjoyed Brazilian players more than Chelsea. Through their close ties with adviser Kia Joorabchian, who has a ‘stable’ of Brazilian footballers that he advises. The London club have had a total of 12 Brazilian players in Premier League history- more than any other club. David Luiz, who has enjoyed two spells at Stamford Bridge, is only counted once in that total.
Currently, David Luiz and Wllian are stalwarts at Stamford Bridge. Winger Willian has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Europa League during his six-year spell with the Blues. Luiz first joined Chelsea in 2011 and he won a Champions League, a Europa League and an FA Cup in his first spell at the club at Chelsea FC, before leaving for Paris Saint Germain.
He re-signed for the club to the shock of everyone on transfer deadline day in August 2016. His impact was instant, forming part of Antonio Conte’s back 3 as Chelsea strolled to the league title. He was also an important part of last season’s Europa League winning squad and won the FA Cup in 2018, which means he has won every major trophy in his time in West London.
Luiz was initially bought from Benfica and that’s where hard working midfielder Ramires came from too. With a reputation as a tough tackling defensive midfielder to finally replace Claude Makelele, Ramires arrived in 2010. In a trophy-laiden six year spell Ramires won every major trophy on one occasion each and he scored a hugely important goal for the Blues at the Nou Camp in the 2012 Champions League semi-final, the year Chelsea went onto win the tournament.
Many people forget that Copa América winner Filipe Luis spent a year with the club in 2014-15, before deciding that London life wasn’t for him and returning to Atletico Madrid. Chelsea’s first ever Brazilian signing was a centre-half named Emerson Thome in 1999 after an impressive two-year spell at Sheffield Wednesday. But he only survived for 12 months at Chelsea before joining Sunderland.
A more successful Brazilian centre-half acquisition arrived in the shape of Alex. Chelsea actually acquired him in 2004 from Santos, but loaned him to PSV Eindhoven for three years, where he played with compatriot Diego Tardelli. After winning 3 Erevidisie titles, Alex joined up with the Blues in 2007 and spent five years with the club where he won 2 FA Cups and a league title. He joined PSG in 2012.
Chelsea have had some more inauspicious raids into the Brazilian market too. Alexandre Pato arrived on loan towards the end of the 2015-16 season with little success. Right-back Juliano Belletti was a diligent enough squad player in a three-year sojourn between 2007-10, while Mineiro, Lucas Piazon and Kenedy have not quite worked out.
Oscar was a little more successful, considered one of the golden kids of Brazilian football, the Blues paid nearly £20m for his signature in 2012. He made an immediate impression as a typical Brazilian playmaker, hoovering up a Europa League title, two Premier Leagues and two FA Cups before his career began to dwindle and he joined Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIP in 2017. Still aged 28, he is considered a lost talent.
