Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has discussed his emotions following Chelsea's Champions League win last season.
The Spaniard had to watch from the bench as the Blues lifted Europe's elite trophy but shared just as much joy as if he was starting.
Speaking to theplayerstribune.com, Kepa spoke about how he felt upon lifting the trophy.
He wrote: "On 29 May, after we had beaten Manchester City in the Champions League final, somebody took a picture of me that was worth way more — probably an entire book, at least to me. I was lifting the trophy, screaming out of sheer happiness, with my teammates celebrating behind me.
"That picture shows so many things. First, it shows what the Champions League title means to us players. We had started the season badly, but then we had ended it in the best way imaginable."
The 26-year-old saw Edouard Mendy come in and take over as first choice goalkeeper for Chelsea at the beginning of the season and discussed just how important the staff at Stamford Bridge were in keeping him motivated.
He continued: "Second, it shows how close we are. The coaching team deserves huge recognition for making every one of us feel important. This is a big reason why that victory meant so much to me and why I feel so at home at Chelsea."
The goalkeeper progressed to talk about his personal emotions following the victory.
Third, it shows how much the title means to me personally. It was an incredible feeling, and a really hard one to explain. While lifting the trophy I remembered many of the moments — happy and not so happy — that had brought me there. They are personal stories that I have shared with practically no one.
"I know that the cliché is that Spaniards are sociable and open, and in many parts of Spain it is like that. But I am from Ondarroa, a fishing village on the north coast, and there we rarely share our feelings. For better or worse, I have always been like that." he said.
The Spaniard missed out on the Euro 2020 squad for his country and has had time off to enjoy his holidays before returning to Chelsea in a bid to impress Thomas Tuchel ahead of the new season.
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