José Mourinho: don’t blame Brazil’s David Luiz for Germany thrashing

David Luiz looks broken after Germany score their fifth goal in the 7-1 World Cup semi-final win over Brazil. Photograph: Ian Macnicol/Getty Images

The Chelsea manager José Mourinho spoke out in David Luiz’s defence on Wednesday, saying his former player should not be singled out for blame in Brazil’s 7-1 World Cup semi-final thrashing by Germany.
Mourinho, who last month sold the defender to Paris Saint-Germain for an estimated £50m, said the whole team must share responsibility for the rout.
“I don’t think it is fair to separate a player from the team, because the team was very bad,” Mourinho told Yahoo, for whom he is a World Cup ambassador, after Tuesday’s match in Belo Horizonte.
“[Did] David make mistakes? Yes, he did, but Dante made mistakes, Marcelo made mistakes, Fernandinho made mistakes, the team as a team made mistakes.
“I think everyone who is a player, everyone who is a coach, everyone who is not involved in the World Cup – we are feeling really, really sorry for them.
“In 50 years’ time, kids will [still] know that Brazil lost at home 1-7 to Germany.“
The Chelsea manager said Brazil thought team spirit would see them through even without their key player Neymar, who was injured, and suspended captain Thiago Silva.
“But it was not enough,” he added. “In the semi-finals they faced a team who is better than them. A team who behaves with a fantastic stability and confidence. Everything went in [Germany’s] direction.