Cesar Azpilicueta has come a long way with Chelsea having joined in the summer of 2012 straight after the club won the Champions League, and now he has the chance to match that feat tomorrow when he captains the side against Manchester City in Porto.
Speaking in the stadium just over 24 hours before kick-off, the skipper is clear. Playing in the biggest game in club football is a major deal, but he is not here just to take part, he is here to win.
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‘To lead the team out in the Champions League final is obviously a moment that I’m really proud of but I want to be even prouder after the game,’ Azpilicueta said. ‘We are ready to give everything. It took nine years to be back and now it is a big opportunity for everybody.
We have the mentality that we know we have to give everything on the pitch, that we have to be a group and we have shown that in the past, especially in the big games. It is not only the 11 players on the pitch but everybody on the bench and the staff.
‘We know that we will have to suffer for moments and we will have to be at our best if we want to win. It is the biggest game of the season and we are ready for it.’
Playing Manchester City in a massive match is certainly not a journey into the unknown for Azpilicueta and his team-mates, and he readily acknowledges the quality of the team that must be beaten if the Blues are to lift the trophy tomorrow.
‘But we have confidence in ourselves,’ he added. ‘We have shown through the last few months that we are capable of having good performances and good results against the top teams.
