Azpilicueta: It was like wow! I have won everything for this club so maybe it’s time for a new chapter

Cesar Azpilicueta has opened up about the anguish, frustration and excitement surrounding the possible move to Barcelona, and then the sudden change that meant that he signed a new extended contract with the Blues and a little pay rise to sweeten the deal.

The Spanish skipper, who signed from Marseilles in 2012 for about £8million looked set to be heading to his homeland with Barcelona dangling their badge and history as a major inducement.

It looked like a dream move for the 32-year-old who had won every trophy possible at SW6.

He said of the new deal at the Bridge: “I am really happy. Of course, it has been a crazy last few months. It felt right to carry on my journey here in a new project and I am really looking forward to the new season.

“It’s true that it is a very rare situation. I was out of contract until March. I played the games [to trigger a one-year renewal] but the club was still under sanctions.

“My actions spoke for themselves. I stayed committed to the club, I played the games and that’s even though I didn’t know what was going to happen. The new owners arrived and we had very honest conversations. I decided that it was right to stay at home.

Was it a tough decision to turn Barcelona down?

He said: “Yes, the conversations were there [with Barcelona]. All surrounding the club. After the Club World Cup where I became the only player to ever win every trophy, [I felt] it was the time to go back [to Spain].

“But then everything happened with this club. I wanted to stay committed to the club. I never did anything against my club.

“We had private conversations where I said everything. We had players leaving and all around that was like this. I have never been in a transfer market situation in 10 years.

“It was different. The last time was Marseille and this time the contract situation made it different because I had this clause for a number of games.

“For a period I was a free agent and who knows what could have happened in that period. I decided to stay silent because I think there was already enough noise around me. I didn’t want to make it worse because I wanted to stay focused on my game.

“The decision to leave came after Chelsea won the Club World Cup.

“Of course, it was a turning point at the Club World Cup. I tried so hard to win this trophy,” he said.

“My last trophy so I could be the only player who has won every trophy for the club. At that moment, I felt differently.

“At that moment, it was like wow! I have won everything for this club so maybe a new chapter arrives.

“It’s true that at the last break, my performances were not as good as before. I paid a big price for playing from December to February. I think I played the most minutes and I did it playing wing back. Of course, I am not getting younger and it is a position that demands a lot of energy every three days and playing the Club World Cup. I think all the emotions, feelings and tiredness made me feel like this. The last two months I wasn’t as good physically as before.”

With new owners comes the prospects of a new adventure at Stamford Bridge, something the skipper is relishing.

He said: “I am really excited otherwise [I wouldn’t sign].

“I am very honest. We expressed our opinions and I had a meeting with the owners. They wanted me to stay here to lead the team both on and off the pitch.

“It’s a big thank you to them. They were very honest and transparent from the first day. I felt a responsibility to stay here in my home. My family is happy here. We have a new project with new players and youngsters coming in. I feel right and ready to look forward.”

On the pitch and following their 1-0 win at Everton, Azpilicueta recognises that the side needs to score more if they are to challenge for the title.

He said: “Every team wants to score a lot of goals and not concede.

“It’s true that in the league for the last few years we were a bit far. I think it has been five seasons since we won it last time.

“We need to score goals if we want to win. We need to score goals and not concede. I think lately, the last couple of games in the Premier League, we didn’t score enough and we conceded with half-chances.

“That’s why we finished third with 20 points behind Manchester City.”