César Azpilicueta

César Azpilicueta Tanco (born 28 August 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defender for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Spain national team.
A youth product of Osasuna, Azpilicueta spent three seasons in La Liga before switching to Marseille, winning four major honours with the French club. In the summer of 2012 he moved to Chelsea, winning the Europa League in his first season and a domestic double two years later. He made over 500 appearances for the club and was sixth on their list of all-time appearances when he departed in 2023, with no other non-English person having played more times for them. Described as a Stamford Bridge 'legend', he captained Chelsea to win the Europa League in 2019, the Champions League in 2021, and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021.
Azpilicueta earned 55 caps for Spain at youth level in all age groups, and represented the under-21s in two European Championships, winning the 2011 edition. He made his first appearance with the full side in 2013 and was selected for three World Cups as well as Euro 2016 and UEFA Euro 2020.
Club career
Osasuna
A product of hometown club CA Osasuna's youth system, he made his La Liga debut on 8 April 2007 in a 0–2 away loss against Real Madrid, while still registered with the reserve team; he started his career as a forward then switched to midfielder and, throughout both his club and international career (senior and youth), appeared in several positions, including centre-back and central midfielder.
In 2007–08, due to injuries in the main squad, Azpilicueta established himself as a first-team regular at the age of just 18, albeit as a right-back. He went on to retain this position for the following season, appearing in all but two league games.
Marseille
On 21 June 2010, French club Olympique de Marseille confirmed an agreement had been reached with Osasuna for the transfer of Azpilicueta, in a four-year contract for €7 million. A week later, the Navarrese confirmed the agreement, with the transfer fee possibly rising to as much as €9.5 million depending on appearances. In his UEFA Champions League debut he scored the match's only goal in a group stage home match against Spartak Moscow, though in his own net.
On 27 November 2010, in the early minutes of a 4–0 home win against Montpellier – which meant Marseille climbed to the top of the league – Azpilicueta ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He was sidelined for six months. On 13 May 2012, he scored his first and only Ligue 1 goal for Marseille in a 3–0 win over Auxerre.
In August 2012, amid speculation of clubs showing interest in Azpilicueta, including Premier League club Chelsea, Marseille confirmed that he could leave, saying, "If Chelsea makes a fair offer for Azpi [Azpilicueta], we will let him leave." Despite his loyalty to Marseille, the player said he was willing to leave if his "departure can help Marseille's finances".
Chelsea
2012–2013: Inaugural season and First Europa League title
On 24 August 2012, Chelsea completed the signing of Azpilicueta for an undisclosed fee, reported as £7 million. According to teammate and countryman Juan Mata, "He is a strong running right-back who has pace as well, so I think he is already a complete player." Due to his surname being difficult for some speakers of English to pronounce, club fans gave him the mononymous nickname "Dave".
Azpilicueta made his debut on 25 September 2012, starting in a 6–0 home win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a League Cup tie. He played his first Premier League game the following week, coming on as a substitute for Branislav Ivanović in a 4–1 success over Norwich City, also at Stamford Bridge.
On 3 November 2012, Azpilicueta made his first league start, appearing against Swansea City in a 1–1 away draw. He played 48 official contests in his first year with the Rafael Benítez-led side, including eight in the Blues' victorious campaign in the UEFA Europa League. In the final against Benfica, his 67th-minute handball led to Óscar Cardozo equalising through a penalty kick, in an eventual 2–1 win in Amsterdam.
2013–2017: Two Premier League titles
Azpilicueta scored his first competitive goal for Chelsea on 29 October 2013, netting the first in a 2–0 victory at Arsenal in the fourth round of the League Cup. Following the arrival of new manager José Mourinho, he began appearing regularly as a left-back, taking the place of longtime incumbent Ashley Cole. Mourinho said of him: "Azpilicueta is the kind of player I like a lot. I think a team with 11 Azpilicuetas would probably win the competition (Champions League) because football is not just about pure talent". At the end of the season, he was voted the club's Players' Player of the Year.
Before the start of the 2014–15 season, Cole was released and the club spent £15.8 million on Filipe Luís, but Azpilicueta began the season as first-choice left-back. On 2 September 2014, he signed a new five-year contract with the club and on 18 October, he was sent off in the first half of a 2–1 win at Crystal Palace for a foul on Mile Jedinak.
Azpilicueta started as Chelsea won the League Cup on 1 March 2015. In the second half, he was injured in a collision with Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier, and had to leave the pitch for a bandage to be wrapped around his head. The campaign ended with the additional conquest of the domestic league title, after a five-year wait.
On 2 August 2015, Azpilicueta featured for 69 minutes in the 1–0 FA Community Shield loss to Arsenal. Nineteen days later, he scored the team's third goal in a 3–2 away win over West Bromwich Albion, for what was his first Premier League goal, and he netted again in a 2–2 draw in the reverse fixture on 13 January 2016.
Although Azpilicueta was initially used as a left-back under new coach Antonio Conte, after two consecutive league defeats the latter converted into a back-three formation, with the former playing as a centre-back in the following match against Hull City on 1 October 2016, which ended in a 2–0 away win. On 13 December 2016, he signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea, running until 2020; in his first appearance following the agreement he made his 200th competitive appearance for the club, in a 1–0 away victory over Sunderland.
Azpilicueta played every minute of the season as his team won the domestic league, and scored in a 4–3 home win against Watford after the title was already won.
2017–2020: FA Cup victory, second Europa League title and assuming captaincy
In late July 2017, after the departure of John Terry, he was appointed vice-captain to Gary Cahill. On 12 September that year, he scored his first Champions League goal, in a 6–0 group stage home win against Qarabağ FK. On 19 May 2018, he won the FA Cup title after a 1–0 victory for Chelsea over Manchester United in the final.
Azpilicueta signed a new deal in December 2018, lasting to 2022. On 29 May 2019, he won his second Europa League with Chelsea after a 4–1 victory over Arsenal in the final at Baku Olympic Stadium.
After Cahill left Chelsea, he was named club captain ahead of the 2019–20 season; he had already worn the armband on the pitch while the Englishman was out of the team, including in the Europa League final victory against Arsenal in Azerbaijan. On 23 October 2019, he marked his 350th Chelsea appearance with a 1–0 group stage away win against Ajax in the Champions League.
On 1 January 2020, Azpilicueta marked his 100th appearance as club captain with a goal and being named man of the match in the 1–1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion. On 1 August, during the 2–1 defeat to Arsenal in the 2020 FA Cup Final, Azpilicueta conceded a penalty and was later injured, leading to his substitution.
2020–21 season: Champions League triumph
Azpilicueta became the 13th player in Chelsea's history to make 400 appearances, when he featured against Manchester City on 3 January 2021. On 23 May, the final matchday of the league season, he was sent off for appearing to strike Aston Villa's Jack Grealish during a 1–2 defeat, but the three-game suspension was overturned on appeal. Six days later, he captained the team to a 1–0 victory in the UEFA Champions League Final against Manchester City at the Estádio do Dragão, Porto, winning their first Champions League title in 9 years.
On 28 August 2021, Azpilicueta reached a milestone as he became the fourth Chelsea player to reach 300 Premier League appearances after John Terry (492), Frank Lampard (429) and Petr Čech (333). He started against Liverpool in a 1–1 draw.
2021–22 season: UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles
On 8 October 2021, Azpilicueta was one of five Chelsea players included in the final 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d'Or.
On 12 February 2022, Azpilicueta lifted the trophy in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup Final in their second FIFA Club World Cup Final, the first one being in 2012 when Chelsea lost to Corinthians. With this trophy and the UEFA Super Cup secured shortly before, it meant he became the first and only Chelsea player to have won every major trophy at the club.
2022–23 season: Appearance records and departure
On 4 August 2022, he signed a new contract with Chelsea until 2024.
On 1 January 2023, Azpilicueta played his 495th game for Chelsea, surpassing Petr Čech as the non-Englishman with the most appearances for the club. On 21 January, he played his 500th match for the club, becoming only the sixth player (and first foreigner) in its history to reach that milestone.
On 18 February, during a game between Chelsea and Southampton, Azpilicueta was knocked unconscious after being accidentally kicked in the head by Southampton's Sékou Mara. Mara was attempting an overhead kick late in the game when he missed the ball and connected with Azpilicueta instead. Azpilicueta was rushed to hospital after the incident after being stretchered off the pitch.
On 6 July 2023, Azpilicueta announced his parting with Chelsea, marking the end of a decade-long association with the club. His departure was confirmed via a video message he shared on social media, wherein he signed off as "Your captain Cesar Azpilicueta, aka 'Dave' ".
Atlético Madrid
Following the departure from Chelsea, Azpilicueta returned to La Liga after 13 years and joined Atlético Madrid by signing a one-year contract. He made his debut for the club on 14 August in a 3–1 win against Granada in the LaLiga.
International career
Youth
In 2007, Azpilicueta helped the Spain under-19 team win the UEFA European Championship. Shortly after he moved to the under-21s, being picked for the 2009 European Championships in Sweden where he started three matches in an eventual group stage exit.
On 11 May 2010, 20-year-old Azpilicueta was named by senior side manager Vicente del Bosque in a provisional list of 30 players, in view of the forthcoming edition of the FIFA World Cup. Eventually, he did not make the final cut. A year later, after recovering from a long-term injury, he went to the European Under-21 Championship in Denmark, and won the tournament.
Azpilicueta was picked for Spain's squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics, after missing out on selection for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. Due to the presence of Álvaro Domínguez, he only appeared in the last group match, a 0–0 draw with Morocco at Old Trafford, as the national team exited in the group stage.
Senior
On 1 February 2013, Azpilicueta was named in the squad for the upcoming international friendly against Uruguay. The manager said of the selection: 'Azpilicueta is playing many games for Chelsea. He has a lot of energy, defends well and is always willing to attack. We have a lot of hope for him. He made his debut five days later, playing the full 90 minutes in the 3–1 win in Doha, Qatar; after the match, he said that it was his "dream to play for Spain" at the senior level. Azpilicueta was selected to the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament held in Brazil: he started in the second group game against Tahiti which Spain won 10–0 in a record for the largest margin of victory in the competition, and replaced Álvaro Arbeloa at half-time in the final against the hosts, in an eventual 3–0 loss.
In June 2014, Azpilicueta was selected to represent Spain in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was the starting right-back during the first two fixtures, against the Netherlands and Chile, as the nation was eliminated at the group stage.
Azpilicueta was also included in the 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as well as the 24-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020. At the latter, he scored his first senior international goal, his team's second of a 5–3 win against Croatia in the round of 16.
Azpilicueta captained Spain for the first time in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Georgia on 5 September 2021. He was included in Spain's 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, appearing twice at the tournament.
Personal life
Azpilicueta was born in Zizur Mayor, Navarre, to Patxi Azpilicueta, a painter, and Charo Tanco, a primary school teacher. Azpilicueta's older brother, Juan Pablo (born 1980), was also a footballer. A midfielder, he competed exclusively in lower-league football. Since retiring, Juan Pablo has transitioned into management. Most recently, he served as manager of CD Subiza in Spain's Tercera División.
In June 2015, he married his long-term girlfriend Adriana Guerendiain. Together, the couple have three children; two daughters and a son. Adriana gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Martina, in March 2014.
Since 2018, Azpilicueta has been a board member and co-owner of English non-league side Hashtag United, which plays in the . In 2020, Azpilicueta announced the formation of his own esports team, Falcons. He is part-owner along with Jose Antonio Cacho and Jesus Rincon, both of whom are top players in Spain with millions of YouTube subscribers.
Azpilicueta is trilingual. He is fluent in Spanish, French, and English. As of 2021, he was working to complete an online degree, an MBA in Business Management from the Berlin School of Business and Innovation.
In June 2023, Azpilicueta announced on his Instagram page that he had successfully completed and earned a business degree in entertainment, media and sports from Harvard Business School.
Career statistics
Club
International
Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Azpilicueta goal
Honours
Marseille
Coupe de la Ligue: 2011–12
Trophée des Champions: 2010, 2011
Chelsea
Premier League: 2014–15, 2016–17
FA Cup: 2017–18; runner-up: 2016–17, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
Football League Cup/EFL Cup: 2014–15; runner-up: 2018–19, 2021–22
UEFA Champions League: 2020–21
UEFA Europa League: 2012–13, 2018–19
UEFA Super Cup: 2021
FIFA Club World Cup: 2021; runner-up: 2012
Spain U19
UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2007
Spain U21
UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011
Spain
FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013
UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2020–21
Individual
Chelsea Players' Player of the Year: 2013–14
UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020–21
References
External links
1989 births
Living people
Footballers from Pamplona
Spanish men's footballers
Men's association football defenders
CA Osasuna B players
CA Osasuna players
Olympique de Marseille players
Chelsea F.C. players
Atlético Madrid footballers
Segunda División B players
La Liga players
Ligue 1 players
Premier League players
UEFA Europa League winning players
UEFA Champions League winning players
Spain men's youth international footballers
Spain men's under-21 international footballers
Spain men's under-23 international footballers
Spain men's international footballers
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2016 players
2018 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2020 players
2022 FIFA World Cup players
Olympic footballers for Spain
Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Spanish expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in France
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in France