Azpilicueta says he needs a break as he collects PFA diploma at Emirates Stadium
Cesar Azpilicueta said he needed a break from football while collecting a diploma at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on 4 October 2026, reflecting on his career after retiring following a final season at Sevilla.
Azpilicueta, 37, finished his Chelsea career having played 508 times in 11 years, placing him sixth on the club's all-time appearance list, and recalled how study helped him cope with pressure before Chelsea's 2021 Champions League final in Porto, where he captained the side to victory against Manchester City. He said he could not take his customary pre-match nap before that game and instead worked towards an MBA in business management from the Berlin School of Business and Innovation, a choice he believes took his mind off the noise on Porto's streets.
On the importance of education, Azpilicueta said: "When I was a kid my parents pushed me to get good grades and finish school. "I wasn't a professional footballer until I was 17, in my last year of school. Education was always important. When Covid-19 arrived, we had more time. "I found some courses but I didn't start because I thought it was the end of my career. It was more that I wanted to learn, improve myself and do it in another language. "It wasn't because I thought it was my last year as a footballer, but it did help me navigate the final years of my career, become a better person and a better footballer."
Speaking at the Emirates while collecting a diploma in global football sport directorship through the PFA Business School, Azpilicueta joked he did not feel "entirely comfortable" and noted the award added to qualifications that also include a diploma from Harvard Business School. He declined to rule out off-field roles, replying "maybe" when asked whether he could become a sporting director one day, but said he currently needed time away from the game.
Azpilicueta traced his club career from boyhood side Osasuna to Marseille — where he learned French — and then to Chelsea in 2012 as a relatively low-profile £7m signing in a dressing room described as containing leaders such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech alongside players including Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard and Ashley Cole. He said of his progression: "I started as a right winger, moved to France, then moved to Chelsea. I wasn't a star signing. I had to find my way. Left-back, wing-back, centre-back in a back three. "It was about consistency. I had to work hard to stay fit, adapt to different managers and different positions."
He credited his off-field study with giving him confidence to represent Premier League players during the Covid-19 pandemic and to help organise initiatives after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Reflecting on Chelsea's culture, he said: "When you arrive at Chelsea, you feel the ambition straight away. Every three days you have to win. Every game and every trophy matters. "That culture pushed me to the maximum and, especially when I left Chelsea, I felt that I had given everything I had for the club."
Azpilicueta confirmed he has not returned to Stamford Bridge since leaving the club in 2023 and was among dozens of players who departed after Chelsea changed ownership from Abramovich to an American-led consortium in 2022. He said: "I left Chelsea, but Chelsea will always stay in my heart. "I follow every game and I hope the club comes back to where it belongs. "There are some very strong teams around and football sometimes needs a bit of time. You need connections, people playing together and understanding each other. "I have confidence that [manager] Xabi [Alonso], the staff and the players will do good work. Hopefully they can bring a lot of happiness to the fans." He has been watching the club's latest captain, Reece James, and noted the arrivals this summer of Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck and Emiliano Martinez.
Azpilicueta said he would not return to playing casually because his competitive instincts remain strong and explained his decision to stop at the end of last season: "It was time to stop playing football because, even though I could probably still play, I didn't have the energy to commit myself fully for an entire season," he reflected. "At the moment I have another commitment, which is my family. I want to play some golf and enjoy life. "For 20 years I was constantly travelling, playing and preparing for seasons. This summer looked completely different."
When asked whether a return to Stamford Bridge would bring a warm reception, Azpilicueta said: "I don't know about that." He added: "I will come back one day. I won't be putting on my boots, though."
