Lucas Piazon: Chelsea star blasts club’s youth policy, saying ‘It makes no sense to go on loan all the time’
Brazilian star reveals his Blues at constantly being sent out by the Premier League side
ONE of Chelsea’s loan rangers has hit out at the club’s policy of stockpiling young players and says he just wants “a club I can call home”.
Brazil Under-23 attacker Lucas Piazon arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2011 as one of the world’s most sought-after young players.
In that time since he has sampled life in Spain, Holland, Germany and the Championship – but he has barely had a kick for the Chelsea senior side.
Loan spells with Malaga, Vitesse, Frankfurt and Reading all proceeded last week’s move to Fulham until January, and the 22-year-old appears to be getting fed up of life on the road.
Piazon, who has only appeared once in the Premier League for the Blues, said: “I have to find a club I can call home. One, two, three loans, maybe that's enough. It's time for me to stay somewhere more than one year. When they know you'll stay whatever happens, people look at you with different eyes.
related stories
“If I had the chance to go for more than one season I'd do it.
“It makes no sense to go on loan all the time. It is not good for any player in my experience — or the experience of the other boys.
“I don't see it as a positive thing any more. To be in a different place every year is not good for me at 22.
“It's difficult to get a place in the team. They have their own players. You do your best, try to get a place in the squad, minutes on the pitch, score and create goals. That's all you can do.”
Last week’s switch to Craven Cottage was the fifth time the youngster has been sent out by Chelsea since his arrival in England.
And although he admits he has learnt a lot from time his away, Piazon is desperate to make it at Chelsea… Or if not there, get to another club for a longer spell than just the one season.
Piazon said: “I had a great time at Vitesse Arnhem and that helped. The Dutch league is all about playing football. They don't defend like crazy. We had a great squad, playing great football and it was so easy to score or make assists.
“Then I moved to Germany (Eintracht Frankfurt) where you have to run 12km or 13km in every game. After the first game I lay on the pitch, almost dead.
“I've learned it takes time to adapt and maybe with two or three years in Germany I could have made a better impact.”
He added: “I hope I can do a good job at Fulham. It's a good club and a traditional club.
“They have started the season well. Then I have to stay for more than one year at a club who can see me as their player and not a player from Chelsea who will one day go back to Chelsea.
“I still want to make it at Chelsea, of course. I came to Europe to play for Chelsea and want to do it. Maybe I can come back in the future.
“If that's not possible I want to go somewhere and stay for more than one season. Not just stay stuck in the club.”
Chelsea have an astonishing 38 players out on loan this season. And in pre-season at the club’s Cobham training complex, the loan army even have their own squad, coach and friendlies.
Eddie Newton and Paulo Ferreira take charge of them, arranging behind-closed-doors matches for onlooking scouts to run the rule over their talent.
The group stay in touch via a WhatsApp group, and they do receive regular contact from the Blues via emails from Newton.
Communication with new boss Antonio Conte, however, is a little harder to come by it seems.
Piazon, speaking to the , admitted: “we haven't spoken much and we've said nothing about football.
“It's difficult when there's a big change. The Italian mentality is to train hard. They arrived and then went to Austria and then to the USA. The players have found the training tough but they're enjoying it.”