Chelsea has officially announced Reece James as the new club captain, taking over the role following the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta during the summer.

Azpilicueta, who had been with Chelsea for 11 years, left the club and joined Atletico Madrid as a free agent at the end of the 2022–23 season, relinquishing the captaincy in the process.

Contrary to speculations that experienced captain Thiago Silva would succeed Azpilicueta, the honor has been bestowed upon Reece James, a product of Chelsea’s academy.

🥶 pic.twitter.com/q4NTpy3EI3

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 9, 2023

Expressing his excitement about the appointment, James spoke to the club’s official website: “I’m so happy to take on the role and responsibility. I know I’ve got big shoes to fill because we have had huge captains here in the past, but I am excited. I have been at Chelsea pretty much my whole life. I started here when I was six and to come through the Academy is tough. But to go on and become captain, it’s a great feeling for me and my family.”

Let's hear from Reece! 🎙 pic.twitter.com/qBsvRT5ySF

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 9, 2023

Mauricio Pochettino, the new manager, explained the rationale behind appointing James as captain: “This is a decision taken by me and the club. We are very pleased Reece will captain the side this season. He leads by example, and his attitude and dedication to Chelsea have been clear throughout pre-season. He proudly wore the armband during our summer tour and will take up the challenge of leading our squad with his own approach and ideas.”

In addition to Reece James assuming the captaincy, the club has also announced that Ben Chilwell, the left-back, will serve as his deputy in the role of vice-captain.

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After more than ten years of outstanding service at Stamford Bridge, Cesar Azpilicueta confirmed his departure from Chelsea with a heartfelt statement.

Azpilicueta has called time on his career at Chelsea after 11 years and nine trophies with the Blues. The defender leaves as a true club legend after winning the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, FA Cup, Club World Cup, and Europa League during his time in West London.

We are bidding an emotional farewell to a Chelsea great.

Thank you for everything, @CesarAzpi. 💙 pic.twitter.com/wHDcALJX5m

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 6, 2023

On Thursday, Atletico Madrid officially announced the signing of the Spain international to a one-year deal.

“Cesar leaves an everlasting mark at Chelsea, as a warrior, as a champion, and as loyal Chelsea legend. He has set the standards at the club for more than a decade and demonstrated to everyone what is required day in, day out to achieve success,” said Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in a joint statement. “Coaches and teammates past and present have trusted him to lead by example as captain. He has done so immaculately on and off the pitch, something for which we are grateful. For that and so much more, Cesar will always be welcomed back at Stamford Bridge.”

Azpilicueta also sent out a message to fans on social media, signing off with his infamous nickname. “Your captain Cesar Azpilicueta, aka ‘Dave’.”

“This is, without a doubt, the hardest letter I have ever had to write, but I wanted to be the one to share this with you: after 11 incredible seasons proudly keeping the blue flag flying high, the time has come for me to leave Chelsea FC,” he wrote. “Our journey together started on the 24th of August 2012: After waiting impatiently to travel to London, my first day as a Chelsea player finally became a reality.

From the first moment I wore the blue shirt, I felt right at home. I will always remember the butterflies in my stomach as I looked at all the trophies and successful moments posted on the wall of the training ground, a succes that a young “Azpi” wanted to emulate.

I could not have imagined to be here today after 508 appearances, winning 9 trophies and becoming your captain. Adriana and I arrived in London as a young couple, and we are leaving as a family of five, with our kids having been born and raised in England. Our bond with the city and the club will remain forever.”

𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓋𝑒, 𝐼’𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝑜𝓂𝑒 💙 pic.twitter.com/hSAk2DS7h8

— César Azpilicueta (@CesarAzpi) July 6, 2023

Azpilicueta is now anticipated to move to La Liga and sign a two-year contract with Atletico Madrid.

🆕 ¡@CesarAzpi es nuevo jugador rojiblanco! 🔴⚪

🖊 El internacional español ha firmado por una temporada con nuestra entidad!

➡ https://t.co/gRmMAEk5xV

👋 ¡#BienvenidoAzpilicueta! 🤗 pic.twitter.com/JSYvQCEf3j

— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) July 6, 2023

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On Monday, Pochettino made his first visit to the team’s training facility in Cobham and immediately started to win over supporters by proclaiming that the Blues had been England’s best team for the previous ten years.

The Argentine has a challenging task ahead of him after Chelsea’s lowest Premier League finish since the 1993–1994 season—12th—last season.

In preparation for a season without European competition, their team is undergoing major surgery. N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, and Kai Havertz have all already departed, and Mason Mount is on the verge of leaving as well.

There aren’t many obvious prospects to succeed club captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who is anticipated to join Atletico Madrid, but Pochettino has urged his team to take charge and act as leaders.

“We need leaders, not followers, in every single area and we will push every person to bring their best and give their best for the club,” Pochettino said.

He added: “If we are all together, we are going to be very strong. We have an unbelievable squad and for sure are going to bring players with commitment who want to be part of it also. With the fans and everyone, we can find again the way to be successful.”

Because Azpilicueta’s transfer hasn’t been finalized, Chelsea hasn’t decided who would serve as captain, but it’s likely that vice-captain Thiago Silva will do so.

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The fan favourite has slipped down the pecking order since Reece James’s rise to prominence and nearly left Chelsea last year when Barcelona showed interest, only to accept a new contract at Stamford Bridge.

Azpilicueta has been told he is free to leave Chelsea, and sources have revealed that he is close to a move to Inter. Malo Gusto, a January addition who will add extra competition for James at Stamford Bridge, is expected to arrive there this summer.

While Saudi Arabia and Bayern Munich have both expressed interest in Azpilicueta, 33, he is likely to take his skills to Inter, who have reached an agreement on a two-year contract with the right-back.

Despite still having one year remaining on his deal at Chelsea, Azpilicueta is expected to be granted a free transfer as a sign of respect for his 11 years of service.

Azpilicueta joined in Chelsea in 2012 from Marseille with little fanfare, but he quickly made a name for himself as an essential member of the team’s defence. He has played on both the right and left sides of the defence and, later in his career, even switched to the centre-back position.

Azpilicueta is sixth on the club’s all-time appearance list with 508 appearances for Chelsea, and club management are eager to acknowledge his loyalty by allowing him to leave on a free transfer.

All summer long, conversations between Chelsea and Inter have been heated over a number of topics. While the Blues pulled out of a deal for goalkeeper Andre Onana, negotiations regarding striker Romelu Lukaku are still going on.

Lukaku is eager to get back after spending the previous season on loan with Inter. Chelsea is pushing for a permanent transfer, but Inter can only afford a loan, thus efforts are being made to reach a compromise that is advantageous to all parties.

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Chelsea are in the midst of a left-back crisis, with Frank Lampard confirming that Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella are both injured.

Chilwell was removed 15 minutes from the end of the Blues’ 3-1 win against Bournemouth last time out, with club captain Cesar Azpilicueta coming on in his stead.

Lampard is critically short of senior full-backs and may have to rely on the veteran Spanish defender once more in a home game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Blues boss told reporters when delivering the latest fitness update on his squad: “[Chilwell is] not fit. Wes [Fofana] has been training this week, so he is good. He [Cucurella] won’t be fit for this game. He’s [Kalidou Koulibaly] trained with us, not full training with us. It’s a similar story to Reece James and Mason Mount. I feel for him [Chilwell]. We miss big players. Ben, Mason and Reece are big internationals.”

While Azpilicueta is expected to come in against Forest, Lampard has another alternative in Lewis Hall, who has made seven appearances this season but has been ruled out of England’s U20 World Cup squad.

Lampard added: “Lewis has a chance. I was tempted to put him on last week but the experience of Azpi was more suitable. He is a very good player, a really talented player. He needs to come out of himself a bit more. I have been really impressed and he is in the running for the last four games. He wanted to play for his country but that is a good thing. But also he has come through this academy and is desperate to play.”

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Following the Blues’ most recent loss to Arsenal, Cesar Azpilicueta appeared to take a dig at Chelsea owner Todd Boehly by referring to “off-the-pitch” things.

The Blues suffered their sixth straight loss under Frank Lampard on Tuesday night at the Emirates as the title challengers Arsenal defeated them 3-1.

With goals from Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard, Chelsea fell behind 3-0 inside 34 minutes. However, the Blues improved in the second half, and Noni Madueke pulled one goal back after an hour.

Azpilicueta, the team’s captain and the player who started in place of Reece James, acknowledged that they were “passive” in the first half and spoke of working on “off the pitch” issues, which might be a jab at Chelsea owner Boehly.

“It’s the worst run since I’ve been at the club. We’re the ones playing on the pitch and we have to turn this around. It’s hard for everybody and we have to come through these moments. Off the pitch we have a lot of things to work on,” he stated after the match to Sky Sports.

“The first half we were quite passive. We know they are a dangerous team and will bring a lot of people forward but we should’ve done better with the ball. In the second half we showed a bit of a reaction, in the first half we were far from there.

It’s tough for everybody, we’re not in a good position. The reality is what we have now. We have to go through it. We are all disappointed, the fans at the club. We have to take responsibility and that’s the only way. It’s very hard, we didn’t expect to be here but that’s where we are. We have five games left, we have to show positive energy and win games,” he added.

Chelsea spent about £600 million on transfers since Boehly’s consortium took over the club from Roman Abramovich last summer. They also paid a record fee to hire Graham Potter after sacking Thomas Tuchel but the coach did not last the full season after Chelsea won just 12 of the matches they played under the ex-Brighton boss, losing 11.

Now the club is staring at mass clear-out to balance their books and meet Financial Fair Play regulations following a loss of £121 million ($149m) in the club’s annual accounts for 2021-22.

Chelsea is currently in 12th place after losing to Arsenal, making a top-four finish unlikely. When they play Bournemouth next on Saturday in the Premier League, they will try to regain some of their damaged pride.

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Thomas Frank acknowledged that the starting lineup for Chelsea’s 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday “surprised” him.

Chelsea lost their sixth game in a row, all under temporary manager Lampard, thanks to own goals from Cesar Azpilicueta and Bryan Mbeumo.

Raheem Sterling was the only striker on the pitch, and the coach used a back five and four central midfielders, identical to the lineup that lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Brentford manager Frank was taken aback by Chelsea’s defensive strategy, particularly at Stamford Bridge, but he was glad to see Chelsea retreating.

“We were pleased they showed us so much respect. I was surprised. I respect every team, we don’t fear any team,” he told the media after the match.

“We talked about the team when we saw the line-up. It’s still Chelsea, still Stamford Bridge, still unbelievable players. We’ve tried to add layers and work hard on the different systems and principles and the way we were in control of the game was very good.”

Lampard did make amends during the half-time break and shifted to a back-four and also introduced Mykhailo Mudryk and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Connor Gallagher and Azpilicueta.

However, those changes had little impact on the match and Mbeumo’s 78th-minute strike dashed all hopes of a possible comeback.

Chelsea will be back in action on Tuesday in the London derby against Arsenal, while Brentford will host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

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Cesar Azpilicueta believes Mykhailo Mudryk will impress and become an important player at Chelsea after joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in January.

The Blues dethroned Arsenal in the pecking order by signing the Ukraine international, who made his debut in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

While neither Mudryk nor any other player on the field were able to break the standoff between the two struggling giants, his burst of speed and technique on the ball surprised Azpilicueta, who just achieved 500 appearances for Chelsea.

“I’ve seen a very focused lad with great determination, great ambition,” Azpilicueta said.

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“It was his first game since November so, for him, it was like pre-season, he played 35 minutes at Anfield so it’s not the easiest debut and I think he did brilliantly.

“He has a great connection with the fans as well. He’s a player who can have that mix between playing good football with his feet and also running into space. You could see his speed.

“He’s very confident. The price tag, I know from the outside it’s there but we players don’t make the prices, it’s a market and when you are in the market, you have competition to get players so I don’t think it has to lie on his shoulders.

“He just has to express himself the way he has been doing. It’s great to see his energy and he will be a very important player.”

Chelsea sit tenth in the Premier League and will not play again until early February, after being knocked out of the FA Cup.

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Reece James suffered an injury in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth, and manager Graham Potter has stated that it is ‘in the same place’ as his previous knee injury.

The wing-back, who missed England’s 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign due to a knee injury he sustained in early October while playing for Chelsea in the Champions League against AC Milan, was in excellent form in that match. He caused a number of problems for the visitors with his bombing run forward.

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After the first half of play, James revealed that he had taken a knock in the first five minutes of the second half, and Cesar Azpilicueta was brought in to replace him soon after.

Speaking after the 2-0 win to the press, Potter provided an update on James’ latest setback stating:

“No, not really [an update]. Too soon, but it’s in the same area so it’s a concern. We’ll see in the next 24 or 48 hours.

“It’s too soon at the moment. But the action to chop, he felt something there. We have to keep our fingers crossed at the moment. He’s disappointed. Of course he is. At the moment, we’re just hoping it’s not as bad and we keep our fingers crossed.”

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Spain defender Cesar Azpilicueta has disclosed why he did not join Barcelona in the summer and instead remained at Chelsea.

During the 2021/22 season, Barça sought Azpilicueta vigorously along with fellow Blues defender Marcos Alonso; however, while the left-back ultimately moved to Camp Nou, Chelsea’s captain did not.

Ahead of Spain’s World Cup round of 16 match against Morocco, Azpilicueta, who recently signed a new two-year contract at Stamford Bridge, gave an explanation of his side of the story.

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“At Chelsea I played less than 30 games [last season] and I was already a free agent. It had never happened to me in my life. The new owners arrived and showed me that they wanted me to stay,” he said.

“London is my home and my children speak better English than Spanish. When I made the decision, I think Xavi understood. If things are clear, they are understood.”

Azpilicueta has appeared on the field for Chelsea 17 times so far this year and has continued to feature frequently under new manager Graham Potter.

He has participated in Spain’s two World Cup games thus far in the competition, most notably providing an assist in their loss to Japan.

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Cesar Azpilicueta is convinced that Spain didn’t slack off in their defeat to Japan, insisting they gave it their all to get a result.

When Spain took the lead 11 minutes into their final group stage game, they appeared to be cruising to a comfortable finish atop their World Cup group.

To make up for it, Japan scored twice in the first three minutes of the second half to take the lead.

After that, La Roja was unable to mount a comeback, which resulted in Japan finishing first in the group and eliminating Germany.

It has been suggested Spain took their foot off the gas with qualification a near certainty, letting Japan back into the contest and perhaps ensuring Germany, a potential rival for the World Cup, didn’t make it to the round of 16.

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However, Azpilicueta refuted claims that Spain didn’t give it their best, pointing to Costa Rica’s two-minute stretch during which they had passed La Roja in the standings as grounds for concern.

“I was aware in the second half [of the Germany score]; I was on the bench so I was aware of the situation,” Azpilicueta said.

“If they look at our group the last couple of years we always give everything and we go out of the pitch to win every game, to press every ball.

“We have been punished from just scoring a goal and then conceding straight away so that’s the way we play. We are the first disappointed to not win the game so you can see what happened.”

Furthermore, he emphasized that Spain concentrated on earning at least a draw because they knew that would ensure their advancement.

“It was difficult because it is something that you cannot control, the other game, so the only thing we could do was to try to give confidence and to help our teammates to win our game. We knew that with a draw or a win we would qualify. That’s the only thing we could control,” Azpilicueta added.

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Chelsea football manager Graham Potter discusses why he took Kai Havertz and Marc Cucurella off at halftime in Chelsea’s victory.

In Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, Graham Potter claims his choice to make a double replacement at halftime was solely tactical. He was thrilled with the results of his changes.

The Blues took an early lead at Villa Park on Sunday as a woeful header from Tyrone Mings allowed Mason Mount to stroke the ball past Emi Martinez, with the midfielder doubling the score – and wrapping up all three points – with a devilish free-kick in the second half.

Despite the straightforward result, The Blues had to deal with a lot of pressure, especially in the opening period. Kepa Arrizabalaga kept his team ahead with a series of excellent saves.

Potter decided to mix things up at the half-time break, taking off Marc Cucurella and Kai Havertz and replacing them with Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta as he switched to a flat back five.

That was no slight on the performances of Cucurella and Havertz, though, with Potter feeling that the side needed to tighten up at the back and in midfield.

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Asked about the changes, Potter told ChelseaTV after the game: ‘It was more tactically.

‘I thought we had to probably be a back five, more so, and be a bit stronger in the midfield area so we just had to adjust it. Sometimes [changes] go for you, sometimes they don’t. Credit to the players, they’re all ready to fight, they’re all ready to help the team.

‘So we’re in a good moment at the moment, but we know there’s another game coming.’

Conor Gallagher and Jorginho were both brought to strengthen Chelsea’s midfield as part of Potter’s two more substitutions, which came to either side of the hour mark.

With Gallagher in particular providing energy and bite, that pair enabled the west Londoners to finish the game in a pretty calm manner, and Potter was happy to see his substitutions have an impact.

Asked how good it was to see the likes of Jorginho and Gallagher contribute, Potter replied: ‘Yeah exactly, that’s what we speak about all the time.

‘Everybody wants to start, but sometimes it’s the ones who finish [the game] who are important. As I said, we’ve got another game on Wednesday, they come thick and fast, we need everybody. I’m pleased with the way the group is responding to that challenge, we’re in a good place and it’s important that whoever comes onto the pitch is ready to help the team.’

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