Former England national team coach Glenn Hoddle heavily criticized French champions' defender David Luiz after a poor performance of "Paris Saint-Germain" resulting in a 1-3 defeat in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against "Barcelona."
The Brazilian stepped into the spotlight after a substitution, as his teammate in the national team Thiago Silva suffered an injury in the first half. At that point, PSG was already trailing 0-1, but Luis Suarez managed to overcome Luiz's defense twice and gave "Barca" a three-goal advantage. The only goal for PSG came from an own goal by Jeremy Mathieu.
According to Hoddle, who currently works for Sky Sports, the defender, who cost 50 million euros, should perform significantly better. "Even if you are not 100% healthy, you must show more dedication," said the 57-year-old specialist.
"When Suarez gets the ball and starts running towards him, he is the last remaining defender. He should realize that jumping and trying to stop the attack is the last thing he should be doing. Instead, he should stay on his feet and help the remaining team," Hoddle added.
"Instead, he does what an eight-year-old who has never been to football practice would do: trying to intercept the ball with both legs forward. Because of that, he can't move freely, and Suarez just leaves him behind," Hoddle explained.
Luiz became a hero for PSG in the quarter-finals, scoring the equalizer during extra time against London's "Chelsea," allowing the Parisians to move to the next stage. However, Hoddle emphasized that reckless play from the center-back position costs too much. According to the former coach, Luiz should find a place as a right-back or a defensive midfielder.
