Deco made 113 appearances for Barcelona and won two La Liga crowns and the Champions League, and in 2008 became the first signing under Luiz Felipe Scolari when he moved to Chelsea for 10 million, but would later find the rug being pulled from underneath his feet at Stamford Bridge. Following Scolari's sacking by Chelsea in 2009, Deco soon grew discontented in west London, and stated:
"I do not want to stay. I have not liked my experience at Chelsea."
These comments sparked interest from former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, of Inter Milan at the time, but when Inter President Massimo Moratti stated that the Italians would not be pursuing Deco, the attacking midfielder soon fell on his sword and retracted his earlier claims, insisting he was happy to stay at Stamford Bridge. Still, his decision to leave Barcelona cannot be considered a wise move. Deco only lasted two seasons at Chelsea and scored a disappointing five league goals during that period before being released by the Blues and moving to Fluminense on a free transfer.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
