Although the Atletico Madrid man is guaranteed silverware and success at Atletico, the time is right for more sedate future at PSG for Filipe Luis
Filipe Luís has been one of the best and most consistent full-backs in the world over the past decade, but for some reason it feels like the Brazilian has always been underrated.
The Atlético Madrid-man now faces a dilemma between staying with the Spanish-capital side, or making one last mega-move in his professional career. With the 2019 Copa América in sight, what should the 33-year-old choose to do?
Filipe Luís performed extremely well whenever Brazil needed him, as he made his World Cup debut at the age of 32, following the injury to Marcelo ahead of the group stage phase clash against Serbia. Luís would come-on as a substitute, impress, and start yet again against Mexico in the round of 16 where he gave yet another positive impression with his tactical discipline and intelligent plays. It was therefore difficult to understand why he was suddenly dropped for Marcelo, as soon as the Real Madrid star regained fitness, ahead of the quarter-final against Belgium, where Brazil headed into a frustrating exit, with Marcelo not exactly having the best game of his life.
Filipe Luis insists to #AtleticoMadrid he wants to leave but club refer #PSG to his €30m release clause https://t.co/4kPXwNW3SM pic.twitter.com/eAQcFplnjy
— footballespana (@footballespana_) August 22, 2018
However, in the first post-World Cup call-up, Brazil boss Tite selected Filipe Luís and Alex Sandro for the left-back position while dropping Marcelo which was seen as a surprise, considering the Madrid man had always been one of the manager’s favorites. This could be the sign that Tite was not too pleased with Marcelo’s displays in Russia, and is considering the idea of trying an alternative for Copa América 2019, which Brazil is to host in June.
Filipe Luís will be 37 by Qatar 2022, so there’s little to no chance he will be among the main candidates for a spot in the World Cup, which consequently suggests that Tite prioritizes winning the South American championship, even if he has to rely on players who won’t be available on long-term. This is of course, great news for the likes of Thiago Silva and Filipe Luís.
There are lots of benefits of plying his trade with Atlético Madrid, but Filipe Luis has been there for a while now, and has probably given all that he could. It would be wise to join Paris Saint Germain in a less demanding league, helping him preserve his energy throughout the season as he isn’t getting any younger.
It would also mean that Filipe would get the chance to join the French champion’s large Brazilian contingent, meaning that he’s likelier to be under Seleção boss Tite’s radar, while playing alongside Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and of course Neymar, who are all essential squad members.
Filipe Luís has never been an instrumental part in helping Brazil win a major trophy, but it’s never too late to mark his name in the Seleção’s trophy cabinet by helping his country win the Copa América on home soil. It would definitely be a memorable moment, allowing him to end his international career in one of the best ways possible.
