Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku has discussed the challenges he faced during his second tenure at Chelsea, following his £97.5 million transfer from Inter Milan in 2021.
Lukaku, who boasts Congolese heritage, opened up about his experiences in an interview with Corriere dello Sport.
During this period, Lukaku netted 15 goals in 44 appearances but found himself marginalized alongside teammates Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech.
Reflecting on this exclusion, he revealed, “I wasn’t alone at Chelsea. Aubameyang and Ziyech were also out of the project. They made us change in the youth locker room.”
Lukaku expressed frustration over the club’s handling of unwanted players, stating, “It’s business; the club tells you it doesn’t want you anymore and often also where you’ll end up. But if you want to leave, even for serious reasons, you don’t have the option. They drag … ; they wear you down.”
“Clubs have relationships with the media, and it doesn’t take much to put a player in a difficult position or create the wrong image.
“Believe me, I’ve seen things I never thought I would. One day, I’d like to explain all of this to younger players, who is really working for them and who is working against them.
“In England they had the wrong idea. For them I was lazy, but I never reacted to the attacks. I am someone who does his job and then goes home.
“In Italy, the opinion has been reversed, here I am a worker. Now (at Napoli) I am better than when I was at Inter. There I was 101kg, here 99kg.”
Since his move to Napoli, Lukaku has found renewed form, contributing nine goals and eight assists in 27 appearances this season.
