Cesar Azpilicueta menamatkan spekulasinya menyertai Barcelona dengan memeterai kontrak baru bersama Chelsea hingga 2024.
Kontrak ketua pasukan yang sudah berkhidmat lama itu berbaki kurang setahun bersama The Blues dan muncul sebagai sasaran Barca.
Bagaimanapun, Azpilicueta tidak akan kembali ke tanah airnya selepas pertahanan itu bersetuju untuk kekal di Stamford Bridge sekurang-kurangnya dua musim lagi.
Pemain berusia 32 tahun itu menyertai kelab London berkenaan dari Marseille pada Ogos 2012 dan telah memenangi setiap trofi utama sepanjang sedekad di Stamford Bridge.
Dia pernah mendakap trofi Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) dua kali, Piala FA, Piala Liga, Liga Juara-Juara (UCL), dua gelaran Liga Europa, Piala Super UEFA dan Piala Dunia Kelab FIFA.
Ketua pasukan itu berkata: "Saya sangat gembira untuk melanjutkan tempoh saya di Chelsea, di kampung halaman saya. Sudah hampir 10 tahun sejak saya mula-mula tiba di sini dan menyertai kelab ini, jadi saya benar-benar berasakan kasih sayang dan saya sangat teruja untuk projek baru kami.
"Saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Encik Todd (Boehly, pengerusi Chelsea merangkap pemilik bersama) dan Encik Behdad (Eghbali, juga pemilik kawalan bersama) kerana memberi saya peluang untuk mengekalkan perjalanan saya di kelab yang menakjubkan ini dan saya sangat tidak sabar-sabar lagi untuk meneruskan pengembaraan kami. Saya seorang kapten yang sangat bangga dan saya harap kami dapat berkongsi banyak kenangan indah bersama."
Keputusan Azpilicueta untuk kekal di London menjadi dorongan besar buat pengurus, Thomas Tuchel, menjelang perlawanan pembukaan di Everton, tengah malam esok.
Shaiful Shamsudin
Fri Aug 05 2022
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