Azpilicueta calls for Europa League final focus amid Sarri speculation

With the football season essentially over but a week to go still until the Europa League final, the focus around Chelsea Football Club has been on anything but football. Recently, the coverage has been dominated by rumors about Maurizio Sarri’s future, who may or may not be leaving for sure or not at all, depending on which source you believe.

Rumors are of course part and parcel for life at Chelsea, especially during the summer, for the players, the focus must be on the game. That’s the message from Captain Cesar Azpilicueta, talking to reporters yesterday during media day.

“We know that when the summer is approaching, we hear about a lot of rumours, we are used to it. What I’m sure of is everyone here is very focused on the final, we are working together and working very hard to get into this game with full concentration.”

“Let’s see what happens after, my only concern is that everyone is very concentrated on the final and hopefully we can be happy in Baku.”

Now part of the furniture, Azpilicueta arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2012, from French club Olympique Marseille. The first of several trophies he’s won since was the Europa League, when Chelsea beat Benfica 2-1 in the final in Amsterdam. (David Luiz, playing midfield, and Petr Cech, in the Chelsea goal then, also started that game.) In true Chelsea style, Azpi is hungry for more, not just next week but at the start of next season, too, when the winner of the Europa final and the Champions League final (Liverpool vs. Tottenham) will play an all-Premier League UEFA Super Cup as well.

“Its a trophy and it’s a derby, we are very hungry and looking forward to it, obviously we will try hard to lift it in Baku. The Europa League was my first trophy with Chelsea in Amsterdam, to end the season with a European trophy and a fight for the Super Cup too will be good.”

-César Azpilicueta; source: Sky Sports

So say we all!