Ex-Chelsea midfielder Ramires claimed that he quit the Blues because interim manager Guus Hiddink didn’t want to play him.
In a recent interview, the Brazilian midfielder did not hold back in expressing his views about former boss Guus Hiddink. According to The Sun, the 29 year-old midfielder believes that he wasn’t given a proper chance to prove himself.
On Decision To Leave Chelsea
According to the report, he was quoted saying: “One of the big reasons I left Chelsea was the arrival of the new coach. I was a long time out of matches there and I wanted to join in and help a team that was not in a great moment and it was not easy to watch from the bench and see the team not performing well.”
His last Chelsea appearance came on January 10 against Scunthorpe United in an FA Cup tie. It was the only game that the Brazilian had played since the arrival of Hiddink.
He admitted that he felt he was losing himself, further adding, “In fact I had already lost. In the training sessions, I was fighting hard with all my determination, skill and energy — but it doesn’t count doing that at Cobham. You have to actually play matches and perform in those.”
Ramires was not among the more technically adept players at Chelsea during his time there. However, his lung bursting runs, exemplary work ethic and match winning goals endeared himself to the fans and cemented his ‘cult-hero’ status among the Blues faithful. His brilliant goal against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the the second leg of the Champions League semi-final in 2012 is, in the eyes of fans, his greatest Chelsea moment.
Speaking on Guus Hiddink, he said that it was the manager’s opinion and decision, that he didn’t fit into his style, so he preferred to leave rather than the manager having an unhappy player that might cause trouble. He added “I’ve never been that kind of person. I’ve always been peaceful and helpful, so I felt deep down that if I might become a problem it would be best to leave.”
The Brazilian’s transfer to the Chinese League in January for 25 million euros left Chelsea fans a bit shocked and confused as to the sudden nature of the transfer. At 29, the Brazilian still had much to offer at the very top level, but understandably would’ve succumbed to the eye watering money being offered by the Chinese teams. No matter how his stay in London might have ended, Ramires leaves behind a great Chelsea legacy and will always be a Blues hero as long as the memories of ‘that night in Barcelona’ live on. Which is to say, forever.
