Cesar Azpilicueta

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta Tanco has long established himself as one of the driving forces of Stamford Bridge. With over 600 club and country appearances to his name, Azpilicueta has enjoyed much success since with his current club, including two Premier League titles and overall victory in the FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League. With the Spanish national side, he won the U19 and U21 European Championships and has appeared at the last two World Cups.

Azpilicueta was born in 1989 in the Spanish city of Pamplona. He began his professional career with local La Liga team Osasuna. Injuries to senior players meant he got his chance in the first team aged just 18. He made the most of his lucky break and was soon established as a first-team regular. In 2010, he was bought by French giants Marseille for €7 million, who were looking to defend their first Ligue 1 title in nearly 20 years. Unfortunately, injury ruled him out of action for most of the season.

Chelsea offered him a lifeline in 2012, and so he made the move to England. He quickly endeared himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful, coaching staff, and his teammates, who voted him their Player’s Player of the Year for 2014. During the 2016/17 season, he played every minute of every league game as Chelsea won the title. After spending time as vice-captain, Azpilicueta was made team captain for the 2019/20 season. Loyalty is rare in football, but eight years into a title and cup-winning career, Azpilicueta has made himself an indispensable part of the Chelsea furniture.