Full back Cesar Azpilicueta has been speaking to the official Chelsea website about Loic Remy, Didier Drogba, Marseille and our chances this season…
“Loic and I both joined Marseille the same summer, obviously Didier played there before us, and I had always a good relationship with Loic,” he says.
We played against each other in the national teams and it is true that when you arrive at a club together and there are always a lots of things new, you speak maybe more.
And it is true that now I am happy to have him back because he is a very good player and hopefully he is very useful for the team.
“In Marseille Loic played at the sides or up front and he can play in different positions in attack. He is always a goalscorer, he has very good finishing and his movements are very clever, and he is quick as well. He is very clever inside and outside the box, I think he is a very good player for the team.”
“I think every time you remember Chelsea you remember with Didier here and all the things that he has done for the club,” says the Spaniard.
He made history here and now having him back in the dressing room, he is a person who has a lot of respect. He spent a lot of time here and the fans love him, he is a player for the team and we can learn from him, and to have him back is a pleasure for everyone.
Sometimes we speak about Marseille because the memories are there and it is a club that has a lot of passion as well. Didier spent just one year there but for the fans in Marseille he was a massive player for them.
Diego Costa is already making good early strides in what we all hope will be a big Chelsea career for him, and with Azpilicueta having played in opposition to the Brazilian-born Spanish striker last season and then observed him closely as team-mates at the World Cup, he is not surprised.
Diego has settled in very quickly to the team and even though he doesn’t speak English, he always tries to understand the people, tries to communicate and I think on the pitch the language for him is the goals, and he is scoring goals.
“We speak the same language and I try to help him, and all the new players who come in, and if we help each other it is easier for everyone.”
At the start of his third Chelsea season and soon to make his 100th appearance, Azpilicueta has succeeded in firmly establishing himself as a favourite of the fans and an important part of the team too.
The 25-year-old was rewarded with a new five-year contract at the beginning of this month and can focus all his attention on helping the team achieve the perfect balance Jose Mourinho spoke yesterday about seeking.
I am very happy to sign the new contract. I always felt the confidence in the club and the manager and obviously I am happy to stay a long, long time here.
“Last year we won more games with a smaller score. Now this year we are scoring a lot of goals and we are conceding as well more than last year.”
“This is a thing we can improve, to concede less goals, because last year it was a strength of the team but we didn’t score a lot. As a team we have to find the balance. I think we are playing better football and we are enjoying it more with the ball, and we try to concede as few as possible to get our objective.”
Now we play Man City and it is obviously a big game against a big team, and hopefully we can come back with the same result as last year.