Chelsea Captain, Cesar Azpilicueta Joins Atletico Madrid After 11 Years At Chelsea

After a successful 11 years at West London Club, Chelsea, Cesar Azpilicueta has signed a one-year deal at Atletico Madrid.

The 33-year-old Spain defender won every available honor at Stamford Bridge, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

“It is difficult to express how I feel, it has been incredible,” he said.

In a social media video posted by the club, a tearful Azpilicueta added: “I feel I gave everything. I love it.

“I think it would be pretty obvious to pick the highest moment of my career when we won the Champions League in Porto. It was my first trophy as captain.

“Chelsea is my home, it always will be and hopefully I can come back in a different role.“

Azpilicueta started out with boyhood club Osasuna and spent two years at Marseille before completing a £ 6.5 million move to Chelsea in August 2012.

The full-back went on to score a total of 17 goals in 508 appearances for Chelsea and succeeded Gary Cahill as captain in 2019.

Azpilicueta is one of just six players to have won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, Uefa Super Cup, and Fifa Club World Cup, while his 13 cup final appearances are a club record.

Capped 44 times by Spain, he has been a constant during a turbulent decade at Stamford Bridge that has seen 10 managers come and go, as well as a change in ownership.

Azpilicueta won the Premier League under Jose Mourinho in 2015 and again with Antonio Conte in 2017, and became only the second Chelsea skipper to lift the Champions League.

That was in 2021 when Thomas Tuchel’s side beat Manchester City in the final, while he also won the Europa League twice in 2013 and 2019.