Denis Zakaria impressed on his Chelsea debut in their Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb and afterward he explained why he left Juventus in the summer.
The 25-year-old Swiss midfielder joined the Blues on a loan deal with a buy option attached from the Bianconeri on transfer deadline day, departing Turin just six months after his arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach. Zakaria has remained sidelined for the last two months under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter but finally impressed when given the chance yesterday.
Speaking to the media after Chelsea’s win over Dinamo Zagreb, Zakaria commented on the reason why he left Juventus in the summer.
“The Chelsea fans are fantastic. I’m very excited, I’m very happy and it’s important for me to play a good game.
“I left Juventus to play and I waited for my chance. The coach said to play the way we did in training and I did my best.”
Because Zakaria played two matches for Juventus in August, the 25-year-old cannot play for a third team this season, effectively tying him to the Blues. It was an impressive and important debut for the Swiss midfielder, who’ll be hoping for more regular chances in the coming weeks, with the World Cup just on the horizon.