César Azpilicueta Ends 20 Seasons With 12 Titles
césar azpilicueta said this season will be the last of his career as a professional footballer, ending a two-decade run at the elite level. He will play his final match this Saturday in Vigo after more than 800 matches and 12 titles.
Azpilicueta's 20 Seasons
He put the timeline in his own words: “Hoy quiero compartir que esta temporada será la última de mi carrera como futbolista profesional.” He added that after twenty seasons as a professional, “ha llegado el momento de iniciar una nueva etapa.”
That career began early. Azpilicueta debuted for Osasuna while still a minor on 28 February 2007 against Getafe in the Copa del Rey, then made his LaLiga debut on 8 April 2007 in a Real Madrid-Osasuna match. From there, the path stretched across CA Osasuna, Olympique de Marseille, Chelsea FC, Atlético de Madrid and Sevilla FC.
Chelsea, Spain and 2021
The peak years came in London and with Spain. Azpilicueta won the 2021 Champions League as Chelsea captain and was the sixth player with the most appearances in Chelsea's history. He also became the first Spanish captain to lift the Champions League and the Europa League with a foreign club.
His international record carried the same durability. Azpilicueta debuted for Spain's senior national team on 6 February 2013 in a Uruguay-España match, finished with 103 matches across the senior and youth national teams, and played more than 40 international matches and three World Cups. Between 2013 and 2019, he was the outfield player in Europe with the most matches, a stretch that also included seven consecutive years and 268 matches without missing a call-up.
Vigo Sends Him Out
The farewell in Vigo closes a career that also brought a Ballon d'Or nomination in 2021, inclusion in Chelsea's all-time best XI and titles with Olympique de Marseille. Azpilicueta said he had spent twenty seasons as a professional and thanked his teammates, coaches and staff members at the clubs where he played.
For supporters of Osasuna, Chelsea, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla FC and Spain, Saturday is the last chance to see a player who crossed from Pamplona to the biggest stages and stayed there for 20 seasons. “Llevar las camisetas de CA Osasuna, Olympique de Marsella, Chelsea FC, Atlético de Madrid y Sevilla FC, y representar a mi país en los escenarios más grandes, ha sido un verdadero privilegio,” he said.
