Cesar Azpilicueta

Cesar Azpilicueta is a Spanish International footballer who captains Premier League club Chelsea and plays for the Spain national team primarily as a full-back but also as a centre back.

A youth product of Osasuna, he 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.

Cesar has made over 350 appearances for the club, winning the Europa League again as captain in 2019.

Azpilicueta has since proven capable of playing left-back and as one of a back-three defence, and ended his second season at the club by winning the Chelsea Players' Player of the Year award. He won his first Premier League title in 2015.

Azpilicueta was named club captain following the departure of Gary Cahill in 2019, having previously been vice-captain and worn the armband for that year’s Europa League final victory.

International Career

At the international level, he has represented Spain since earning a call-up to the Under-16s in 2005 and was part of the Under-19 side which won the European Championships back in 2007, as well as the Under-21s who tasted success in the same competition in 2011.

After impressing during a sustained run in the side, Azpilicueta earned his first senior call-up for Spain for the friendly against Uruguay in February 2013 and played the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 win.

Cesar Azpilicueta also featured for his national side at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil, playing the full 90 minutes in an emphatic win against Tahiti and coming on at half-time in the final defeat to the host nation.

The defender was also selected for the 2018 World Cup squad although he was an unused sub throughout the campaign.