Cesar Azpilicueta names former Chelsea trio as his three toughest ever opponents

Former Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta has picked retired Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa arsenic the ‘toughest’ opponents helium has ever travel up against successful his career.

Across an illustrious 19-year vocation successful elder shot frankincense far, Azpilicueta has played some against and alongside galore of the finest players of his generation.

The 35-year-old is perhaps champion remembered for his 11-year spell astatine Stamford Bridge, wherever helium won 9 pieces of silverware successful total, including 2 Premier League titles and the 2020/21 Champions League.

Prior to adjacent joining Chelsea successful 2012, Azpilicueta had lifted 3 trophies with Marseille – and the seasoned Spaniard volition beryllium determined to adhd to his awesome CV earlier helium yet hangs up his boots.

This weekend, Azpilicueta’s Atleti instrumentality connected top-of-the-table Real Madrid successful what could beryllium a decisive lucifer successful the contention for the La Liga rubric this season, with conscionable 1 constituent separating the 2 sides.

Should helium beryllium selected, Azpilicueta volition beryllium tasked with keeping the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe quiescent astatine the Bernabeu, 2 players wide regarded to beryllium among the apical talents connected the planet.

But speaking to ESPN up of the eagerly anticipated clash, the seasoned defender revealed which 3 players helium had recovered astir hard to look passim his full playing vocation – and the prima trio conscionable truthful happened to beryllium team-mates, too.

‘Wow. Well, 1 that comes retired rapidly is Eden Hazard,’ Azpilicueta said.

‘He was my team-mate for a agelong clip but past I was successful Marseille erstwhile helium played for Lille. I retrieve half-time against him…

‘Didier Drogba was one. He was playing for Galatasaray, I was astatine Chelsea, and helium was rather a pugnacious striker.’

After concisely mulling it over, Azpilicueta added: ‘Diego Costa I would accidental for the 3rd one.

‘Three that I played with them and against them.

‘I knew however they were arsenic a team-mate and besides arsenic opponents and they were large battles.’

Azpilicueta has made 11 appearances successful each competitions for Atletico Madrid this season, including six starts successful the Spanish apical flight.

The defender is retired of declaration astatine the extremity of the 2024/25 run having signed a one-year hold successful the Spanish superior past summer.

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