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Three big questions: Chelsea’s captain Cesar Azpilicueta

By Travis Tyler

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League group H match between Chelsea FC and AFC Ajax at Stamford Bridge on November 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League group H match between Chelsea FC and AFC Ajax at Stamford Bridge on November 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 14: (L-R) Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Kurt Zouma and Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea warm up prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on July 14, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 14: (L-R) Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Kurt Zouma and Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea warm up prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on July 14, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

Cesar Azpilicueta has defied many expectations for yet another season. What questions should be asked of the Chelsea captain ahead of a new season?

Another season, another year where Cesar Azpilicueta has proven indispensable. The Spanish defender has been a constant for the Blues for nearly a decade now and he is showing no signs of slowing. He is mister consistent at the back and at the club as a whole. What questions should be asked ahead of a new season?

1. Will he ever be as truly appreciated as he should be?

The mere fact that anyone even entertained the rumor that Thiago Silva would take the captaincy is strange. The fact anyone seemed to be okay with it is frankly ridiculous.

This largely stems from the very narrow view point of what leadership is. It must be easy to watch from afar and say a player isn’t a leader because they are “not vocal enough”. It packages leadership into a very narrow box that simply isn’t realistic.

Leadership comes in many forms, and just because Azpilicueta does not match someone’s perception of a leader does not mean that he isn’t one. Former players and staff alike have consistently talked about his good influence behind the scenes and how reliable he is. He won’t be grabbing anyone by the neck like John Terry, but he also doesn’t have to.

It goes beyond just leadership however. When Maurizio Sarri joined Chelsea, there was a consensus that Azpilicueta could not play his system. After a few initial hiccups, Azpilicueta showed how wrong that was. Even Frank Lampard’s system demanded a great deal out of fullbacks and again, Azpilicueta maintained his usual consistency and calm in the back.

It feels as though Azpilicueta has not been appreciated as he should be since Antonio Conte’s title win. Hopefully this season changes that.

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