Former Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has picked out Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa because the ‘hardest’ opponents he has ever had the misfortune of facing.
Across an illustrious 19-year profession in senior football up to now, Azpilicueta has played each against and alongside an entire host of the best players of his generation.
The 35-year-old is probably best remembered for his 11-year spell at Stamford Bridge, where he won nine pieces of silverware in total, including two Premier League titles and the 2020/21 Champions League.
Prior to even joining Chelsea in 2012, Azpilicueta had lifted three trophies with Marseille – and the veteran Spaniard will likely be determined so as to add to his impressive CV before he eventually hangs up his boots.
Azpilicueta’s Atleti tackle top-of-the-table Real Madrid this weekend in what could prove a decisive match within the race for the La Liga title this season, with only one point separating the 2 sides.
Should he be chosen, Azpilicueta will likely be tasked with keeping the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe quiet on the Bernabeu, two players widely regarded to be among the many top talents on the planet.
But talking to ESPN ahead of the eagerly anticipated clash, the veteran defender claimed Hazard, Drogba and Costa stood out above the remaining because the trickiest he had ever come up against.
‘Wow. Well, one which comes out quickly is Eden Hazard,’ Azpilicueta said.
‘He was my team-mate for a very long time but then I used to be at Marseille when he played for Lille. I remember half-time against him…
‘Didier Drogba was one. He was playing for Galatasaray, I used to be at Chelsea, and he was quite a tricky striker.’
After briefly mulling it over, Azpilicueta added: ‘Diego Costa I might say for the third one.
‘Three players that I played each with and against.
‘I knew how they were as a team-mate and likewise as an opponent and so they were great battles.’
Azpilicueta has made 11 appearances in all competitions for Atletico Madrid this season, including six starts within the Spanish top flight.
The defender is out of contract at the top of the 2024/25 campaign having signed a one-year extension within the Spanish capital last summer.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Robbie Fowler names player who’ll stop Arsenal winning the Premier League title
MORE: Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Crystal Palace eyeing up Championship wonderkid
MORE: Ruud van Nistelrooy responds to Gary Neville’s damning statement about Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd
