- Published
Cesar Azpilicueta was an all-encompassing leader for Chelsea - and, now retired, he reflects on how his passion for education and attention to detail helped him build a career at the highest level.
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One story sums it up.
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Before Chelsea's Champions League final victory in 2021, Azpilicueta could not take his customary pre-match nap and opted to study instead.
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He says his work towards an MBA in business management from the Berlin School of Business and Innovation took his mind off the pressure and noise on the streets of Porto.
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work → say → Porto
Later that day, he lifted the Champions League trophy after captaining Chelsea to victory against Manchester City.
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he → lift → City
Azpilicueta told BBC Sport: "When I was a kid my parents pushed me to get good grades and finish school.
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parents → tell → school
When Covid-19 arrived, we had more time.
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we → arrive → time
"I found some courses but I didn't start because I thought it was the end of my career.
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it → find → career
It was more that I wanted to learn, improve myself and do it in another language.
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"It wasn't because I thought it was my last year as a footballer, but it did help me navigate the final years of my career, become a better person and a better footballer."
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it → think → career
Azpilicueta, 37, was speaking at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, where he joked he did not feel "entirely comfortable", while collecting a diploma in global football sport directorship through the PFA Business School, adding to qualifications that also include a diploma from Harvard Business School.
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that → speak → School
Now retired from playing after spending last season at Sevilla, he replied "maybe" when asked whether he could become a sporting director one day, but says football has left him in need of a post-career break.
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football → retire → break
Now at a "different stage of life", he cannot even contemplate playing football with friends for fun because it would trigger his competitive instincts.
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it → contemplate → instincts
"It was time to stop playing football because, even though I could probably still play, I didn't have the energy to commit myself fully for an entire season," he reflected.
"
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he → stop → season
At the moment I have another commitment, which is my family.
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which → have → commitment
I want to play some golf and enjoy life.
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"For 20 years I was constantly travelling, playing and preparing for seasons.
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This summer looked completely different."
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After beginning at boyhood club Osasuna, Azpilicueta joined Marseille, where he learned French.
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he → begin → French
However, it was his move to Chelsea in 2012 that proved transformative.
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that → prove → 2012
'Chelsea made me who I am'
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Completing his latest course highlights Azpilicueta's thirst for knowledge and a desire for constant self-improvement.
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Completing → complete → improvement
It was something he learned at Chelsea, where he arrived as a relatively low-profile £7m 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.
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he → learn → Torres
He explained: "I started as a right winger, moved to France, then moved to Chelsea.
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I had to find my way.
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I had to work hard to stay fit, adapt to different managers and different positions.
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"When you arrive at Chelsea, you feel the ambition straight away.
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Every three days you have to win.
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Every game and every trophy matters.
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"That culture pushed me to the maximum and, especially when I left Chelsea, I felt that I had given everything I had for the club."
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I → push → club
Azpilicueta explained how his education away from the pitch helped him develop into a leader at Stamford Bridge.
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him → explain → Bridge
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.
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Abramovich → give → Ukraine
His defining moment came in that 2021 Champions League final victory.
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moment → come → victory
There is little doubt that, having succeeded Terry and then Gary Cahill as captain, Azpilicueta ranks among Chelsea's greatest leaders.
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Yet he revealed that, since leaving the club in 2023, he has not returned to Stamford Bridge.
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He was among dozens of players to leave after Chelsea changed ownership from Abramovich to the current American-led consortium in 2022.
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Chelsea → leave → 2022
"I left Chelsea, but Chelsea will always stay in my heart," he said.
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he → leave → heart
"I follow every game and I hope the club comes back to where it belongs.
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it → follow → game
"There are some very strong teams around and football sometimes needs a bit of time.
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football → be → time
You need connections, people playing together and understanding each other.
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…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
