A farewell to 'Dave,' whose stellar Chelsea career is over
When Spanish soccer player César Azpilicueta arrived at Chelsea in 2012, his teammates gave him a rather surprising nickname: Dave.
"César's not even that hard [to say]," he lamented to The Guardian in 2013. "But I suppose Azpilicueta is. Some said my name was too difficult to pronounce and asked if they could call me Dave. It's stuck."
These days every soccer fan in the United Kingdom probably knows how to say César Azpilicueta, but most probably still call him Dave out of affection, humor and gratitude. The 33-year-old Spaniard recently ended his stellar Chelsea career by agreeing to a transfer back to Spain, and as he goes, so goes the "old" Chelsea.
Azpilicueta was the team's longest-tenured player, having served with honor under 11 different managers in his 11-season run. Everyone from Roberto Di Matteo to Maurizio Sarri to Bruno Saltor raved about Azpilicueta's hunger, intelligence and leadership skills during that time.
"A team with 11 Azpilicuetas probably could win the Champions League," former coach José Mourinho said, via Eurosport. "Because football is not just about the pure talent. Football is also about character and personality and Azpilicueta has all those traces of a winning personality."
Azpilicueta arrived at Chelsea as a young, raw defender with an incredibly high ceiling. His relatively small size (5-foot-10) caused many to underestimate him. But Azpilicueta made them pay for that with perfect positioning and unbridled physicality. He was the glue that held Chelsea's back line together for many seasons, but he wasn't just strong on defense. He also put up impressive goal-scoring stats. He leaves Chelsea averaging a goal or assist every seven games.
While his Premier League career is likely over, Azpilicueta still has many strong seasons left in him. He'll join Atletico Madrid in Spain to work under Diego Simeone, the Argentinian coach who appreciates players exactly like Dave — players with strong character who aren't afraid to play a little dirty. It's a player-coach matchup made in heaven, and Azpilicueta should thrive in Madrid.
But the Premier League will be a sad place without Dave. Chelsea FC have changed remarkably in the past few years, with dozens of players walking in and out of Stamford Bridge's revolving doors. Throughout all of the drama, "Dave" remained a heartwarming constant — and for that, he will be sorely missed.
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