Nottingham Forest flop returns to highest stage as two-year struggle finally ends

Brian Dick Reach Football Correspondent

Douglas Luiz’s first season at Juventus was an uphill struggle.

Signed from Aston Villa for €50million by Thiago Motta in June 2024 – the coach was fired nine months later – he ended up making just three starts in Serie A and three in the Champions League.

Within a few months, he was already being touted for a return to the Premier League.

Luiz's second season at Juventus wasn’t even at Juventus, as Igor Tudor sent the midfielder on loan to Nottingham Forest. Juve made sure they inserted a conditional obligation to buy into the deal.

While he was at Forest, things became even harder, the manager who signed him, Nuno Espirito Santo was gone within a month and the man who replaced him, Ange Postecoglou was himself replaced by Sean Dyche mere weeks later.

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Three head coaches poles apart in footballing philosophies but united on one issue – a steadfast refusal to pick the Brazilian. In between moments of availability, Luiz was repeatedly ruled out by injuries.

Five months – and just a few starts after thinking his future lay Trentside – he was shipped out to Aston Villa.

To be fair he made 13 Premier League appearances back under Unai Emery’s tutelage, but in truth he had gone from a regular Brazil international to a forgotten man.

He returned to Turin in the summer having missed the World Cup, with three years left on his contract and wondering who might want him.

Strangely the answer has turned out to be...Juventus.

Indeed, under Luciano Spalletti, the 28-year-old has started all five Serie A matches and one in the Europa League.

After a poor showing in pre-season he has responded to the coach’s call to move the ball more quickly and now he is instead earning Spalletti’s praise.

It’s only fair to point out that Luiz’s opportunities have come after injuries to Manuel Locatelli and Khéphren Thuram but as their doors shut, Luiz’s has opened and he has walked right through it, not only into the Juve team but, for the first time since the month after he left Villa, also into the Brazil squad.

He does so with Spalletti’s plaudits ringing in his ears: "Douglas Luiz is strong physically," the Italian said recently. "He can handle the battle and is always willing to run and cover metres for his teammates. Playing short and long is something he does very well. These are his qualities."

Carlo Ancelotti, who needs a few answers himself after a dire performance at the World Cup, has heeded those words.

Undeniably, the former Chelsea and Everton boss is ‘trying a few options’, having left out many of the players who flopped in the summer but just as he worked his way back into his club set-up, Luiz has a chance to prove himself once more on the international stage.

Brazil face two friendlies against Australia in Townsville on September 25 and in Brisbane four days later. They also play India in Kolkata on October 3 – a year on from the thigh injury that pretty much condemned his time at the City Ground to be a failure.

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