Completing his latest course highlights Azpilicueta’s thirst for knowledge and a desire for constant self-improvement.<\/p>\n
It was something he learned at Chelsea<\/a>, where he arrived as a relatively low-profile \u00a37m signing in a dressing room full of established leaders such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech, alongside star names including Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard and Ashley Cole.<\/p>\n He explained: “I started as a right winger, moved to France, then moved to Chelsea<\/a>. I wasn’t a star signing. I had to find my way. Left-back, wing-back, centre-back in a back three.<\/p>\n “It was about consistency. I had to work hard to stay fit, adapt to different managers and different positions.<\/p>\n “When you arrive at Chelsea<\/a>, you feel the ambition straight away. Every three days you have to win. Every game and every trophy matters.<\/p>\n “That culture pushed me to the maximum and, especially when I left Chelsea<\/a>, I felt that I had given everything I had for the club.”<\/p>\n Azpilicueta explained how his education away from the pitch helped him develop into a leader at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n It gave him the confidence to represent Premier League players during the Covid-19 pandemic, while also helping to organise initiatives and keep the club moving forward after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n His defining moment came in that 2021 Champions League final victory.<\/p>\n There is little doubt that, having succeeded Terry and then Gary Cahill as captain, Azpilicueta ranks among Chelsea<\/a>‘s greatest leaders. Yet he revealed that, since leaving the club in 2023, he has not returned to Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n He was among dozens of players to leave after Chelsea<\/a> changed ownership from Abramovich to the current American-led consortium in 2022.<\/p>\n “I left Chelsea<\/a>, but Chelsea<\/a> will always stay in my heart,” he said. “I follow every game and I hope the club comes back to where it belongs.<\/p>\n “There are some very strong teams around and football sometimes needs a bit of time. You need connections, people playing together and understanding each other.<\/p>\n “At a big club like Chelsea<\/a>, the demands are high. But I think that’s normal. It should be demanding and ambitious because, speaking as a Chelsea<\/a> fan, you always want to see the club winning trophies.<\/p>\n “I have confidence that [manager] Xabi [Alonso], the staff and the players will do good work. Hopefully they can bring a lot of happiness to the fans.”<\/p>\n