Cesar Azpilicueta has seen it all at Chelsea – and that’s no exaggeration.
Champions League wins, player mutinies, wins, losses and everything in between, all under about 25 managers.
So a couple of draws while playing for Spain is pretty tame for him, even if the pressure is very much on after his nation failed to win in their first two games at the Euros.
His interview with Sid Lowe in the Guardian reveals how things are in the camp at the moment:
“The lesson from Chelsea was never give up. No one thought we would do anything; we were dead, we wouldn’t get in the top four in the Premier League. You learn that you have to fight until the end,” club captain Azpilicueta explained.
“I experienced this last season. In January things weren’t good and no one expected anything from us; they thought we were dead. But it’s not how it starts, it’s how it ends.”
Azpi hasn’t played a minute yet, but may get his chance against Slovakia, as Luis Enrique looks to shake up a stale team and get the win his group need in order to qualify.
The Basque is a tenacious fighter and the exact kind of cool head you want in your dressing room when you need a result. Put Dave in the team, and one thing you won’t lack is effort.
