Cesar Azpilicueta has dropped a possible hint on his preference for the next Chelsea manager. The Blues defender will play under his 12th head coach at Stamford Bridge when Todd Boehly appoints Graham Potter successor.
After joining in August 2012, the Spaniard has been a regular in the defence at Stamford Bridge for the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Jose Mourinho and Maurizio Sarri, and will stay at the club until 2024 after signing a contract extension last summer.
Frank Lampard has taken up the role on a temporary basis until the end of the season with the club hierarchy continuing their hunt for the next permanent boss. Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann have been named as the frontrunners with Mauricio Pochettino also linked.
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Now, Azpilicueta has discussed the matter in a recent interview with EFE. After being asked if he would like to see a compatriot to join him in England, the Chelsea man said: "There are parts [of the club] who negotiate, that we trust with doing what is best for the club. We will see what happens."
The defender did his utmost best to deflect the matter during the series of questions but he did hint at the possibility of Enrique joining the west Londoners. "My best games with the national team were with Luis Enrique as coach."
Speaking in 2021 during the European Championships - in which Enrique led Spain to the semi-finals - Azpilicueta offered an insight of what Enrique's managerial style is like. "All the way back to my time with the Spanish 'categorias inferiores', we had the same DNA: control the play, combine, carry the weight of the game," he told the Guardian.
"Also, when I first started coming at 15, I did everything as I would in the senior squad, so that when the moment came you feel like you have lived this before, like you know what it’s like to be at a tournament. Every coach has their touch and Luis Enrique wants more intensity, we’re more aggressive. The intensity he likes has got us here."
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