Chelsea Football Club have today
completed the signing of Nemanja Matic
from Benfica.
On signing his five-and-a-half-year
contract, the 25-year-old said: 'I am very
happy for this opportunity to be back at
this club. I feel very good because of that
and just want to say I will give my best to
help the team and make the Chelsea fans
happy.
' Jose Mourinho added: 'I am very
pleased that Nemanja is returning to
Chelsea. He has grown as a player in
Portugal and has become a fantastic all-
round midfielder. I am sure he will
become a very important member of the
squad and help us to achieve our
ambitions.'
The Serbian midfielder, who will wear the
number 21 shirt, returns for a second
spell at Stamford Bridge, having
previously represented the Blues after
joining from MSK Kosice in 2009.
He
made three substitute appearances in the
2009/10 season and departed in January
2011 as part of the deal which brought
David Luiz , one of the most coveted
players in Europe, from Benfica to
London.
Matic made his Chelsea debut
aged 21 during a 4-0 league victory
against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and
also featured in our final-day 8-0 win
over Wigan Athletic in 2010 which saw us
clinch the title.
In August 2010, he went on a season-
long loan to Vitesse Arnhem to gain more
first-team experience and although the
transfer to Benfica was agreed mid-
season, Vitesse retained his services for
the remainder of that campaign.
The 6ft
4in, left-footed player made his debut for
the Portuguese club as a late substitute in
a 2-1 win over Vitoria Guimaraes at the
start of the 2011/12 campaign, and with
the benefit of regular first-team
appearances, his game matured.
Composed, comfortable in possession
and with a good range of passing, he
scored his first goal for the Lisbon club
during a 4-1 win against Vitoria Setubal
in January 2012, and acquired valuable
Champions League experience, including
games against Chelsea in both legs of the
quarter-final on our way to winning the
competition.
While his first season at the
club was a solid one, the 2012/13
campaign saw Matic flourish. With Javi
Garcia departing for Manchester City, he
became a formidable presence in the
centre of midfield, impressing to such an
extent he was named Portuguese Player
of the Month on three occasions.
He also added more goals to his game
and a stunning volley in a 2-2 draw
against Porto was this week voted second
in FIFA's Puskas Award for the best goal
scored anywhere in the world in 2013.
He
also netted the winner as Benfica beat
Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of
their round of 32 Europa League clash.
Matic played in all but one of Benfica's
matches as they progressed to last
season's Europa League final, where they
were beaten by Chelsea in Amsterdam.
They were also pipped to the Portuguese
title by Porto, with a solitary point
separating the two big rivals, but on a
personal note, the season ended in a
memorable manner for the Serbian when
he was named Primeira Liga Player of the
Year.
The opportunity to play regularly for
one of Europe's biggest teams has
undoubtedly aided Matic's development
over the last two seasons, and he
continued to impress during the first half
of the current campaign in Portugal where
Benfica currently have a two-point lead at
the top of the table.
His final appearance for Benfica came
last Sunday, when he helped them to a
2-0 win over Porto.
Matic has earned international recognition
with Serbia at youth and Under-21 level,
and with the senior team for whom he
has made nine appearances, the most
recent a World Cup qualifier in October.
