Azpilicueta: ‘Everyone has to accept responsibility’

César Azpilicueta was not even two years old the last time Chelsea lost a game by a worse margin than last night’s 6-0 thrashing by Manchester City. Many fans weren’t even born yet. For them, and for Azpi, it was one of the worst nights ever.

“It’s difficult to find the words to describe my feeling after the game. It is one of the worst nights in my career. It’s very frustrating, it’s very disappointing.”

It was a performance that no words can justify, few words can explain, and even fewer can make right. In fact, it can only be responded to properly on the pitch, in the next games against Malmö, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester City again (not necessarily in that order). For that to happen, everyone will have to accept responsibility for the defeat, and most importantly the manner of it, not just the players but coaches and probably front-office staff as well.

“We have lost big games in the first minutes and we are conceding a lot of goals. We cannot accept that. When you lose 6-0 everyone has to accept they didn’t play well, we made errors that in big games like this you cannot make. We knew we had one of the best teams in front of us, and we knew it would be tough.

“When we won against them at Stamford Bridge it was because we played a very good game all together. This time It was not the case. To lose in this way is very disappointing, The only thing I can say to the fans is sorry, because it’s not acceptable, and I feel sorry for all of them.”

-César Azpilicueta; source: Chelsea FC

Like Rüdiger’s in-person gesture, Azpilicueta’s apology through the media is a decent gesture, but it’s not going to solve anything. If only it were that easy!

Chelsea can still recover the season to finish top four and maybe even win a trophy or two. The season’s teetering in the balance; we must not let this latest loss completely scupper it just yet.