When Cesar Azpilicueta joined Chelsea he was the new kid coming in to a squad of Champions League winners. A decade on and he is welcoming in a host of new faces as captain and a reminder of what can be achieved at the club.
He is no longer the reigning European or world champion but he is a winner of both trophies and stands to show the success of both himself and the club in the past decade. The 33-year-old is slowly moving on now. Used less and less frequently, he has a smaller role to play on the pitch.
There is little that the Spaniard can do in 90 minutes that Reece James can't. Thiago Silva is just as much a leader despite his lack of English language. In 2021 Azpilicueta was very much still central to the team though. Now he is occupying a very different responsibility.
READ MORE : Ben Chilwell has argument as Chelsea include surprise player in training for Borussia Dortmund
He acts as a constant reminder to the current squad, even those that won the Champions League alongside him in 2021, of what is expected of them as players and professionals. Heading into the knockout stages of the tournament two years ago and he was still a first-choice player under Thomas Tuchel.
There is no real demand for him to be involved against Borussia Dortmund. James is fit and ready to go and a back three hasn't been used as often since the turn of the year. It is valuable, especially with the high turnover of players, to have experienced heads but the on-field need for Azpilicueta has dropped.
It doesn't mean that he isn't doing work that can help his side though. "It’s been a bit of a busier January transfer than before but in my role, I try to help them adapt as quickly as possible to the team," he explained before the last-16 tie against Dortmund.
Azpilicueta has gained 18 new teammates since the summer and is the first and only club captain under new ownership. Nobody else has captained a side through a transition such as this since 2003. In modern football this amount of transfer spending and continuing arrivals is unprecedented at the top level. It makes Azpilicueta's role even more vital.
"In football, sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to start your journey in a new club, country, a different language. So from my side, I’ve been trying to help integrate them as quickly as possible in the team so that they can express themselves and show their quality, like a few of the boys have done already. I think we have exciting times ahead," he said.
"It’s a challenge and it’s something that I enjoy as well in my position. I try to explain to the new guys and show them what Chelsea is about, the trophies that we have won, and the trophies we want to win. We have had a lot of new young players, a different profile to signing maybe in the past, but it’s all about the present and the future and it’s about us showing we are ready to win trophies."
There are players in the side that are more than 10 years younger than him. In fact, of the eight players that came in January, every one is more than a decade his junior. Although Joao Felix has been on the European football scene for a while, Mykhailo Mudryk is a relative novice, as is World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez.
Azpilicueta has played over 500 times for Chelsea alone now, and there is no substitute for what he has to offer, even if it is seen more scarcely on the field of play.
READ NEXT :
Every word Graham Potter said on getting angry, Dortmund vs Chelsea, Mudryk, Cucurella, signings
Every word Cesar Azpilicueta said on Chelsea signings, Dortmund, Champions League and Joao Felix
Chelsea boss Graham Potter hits back at 'angry' Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp comparisons
Graham Potter confirms Kovacic, Zakaria and Fofana Chelsea roles amid Raheem Sterling absence
Chelsea face triple suspension risk for Borussia Dortmund clash amid Kalidou Koulibaly decision
