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Chelsea signed the best in the world, says Cesar Azpilicueta, but they sold him too early

Originally posted on HITC | By Jack Drury | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 9:42 AM ET

Cesar Azpilicueta has said Chelsea fans never got to see the best of a player he felt was the world’s top left-back when he arrived at Stamford Bridge.

Azpilicueta made more than 500 appearances during his near-12-year stay, becoming one of the most reliable defenders in club history.

During that time, the Spaniard played alongside some of the game’s top defenders, including John Terry and Thiago Silva, and collected every major trophy available.

Jose Mourinho was in charge when Azpilicueta began transitioning into a central role following the signing of Filipe Luis ahead of the 2014/15 season.

Cesar Azpilicueta recalls his reaction to Filipe Luis signing for Chelsea

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

Filipe Luis never quite nailed down a starting spot in the Chelsea line-up, leaving after just 26 appearances.

Still, Azpilicueta said he felt the pressure at the time, convinced that the club had brought in the greatest left-back in world football at that time.

“Then Filipe Luis joined Chelsea, which was a… maybe the best left back at the moment. That gave me competition, that gave me a way of helping the team and bring something different and I had to step up and, yeah, I played a lot and I really enjoyed it. I played alongside John Terry on the left side, which was for me like a masterpiece of learning how to defend,” he revealed to Flashscore.

Azpilicueta held onto that position for several seasons before Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell arrived. He then moved back over to right-back and centre-back roles later in his career.

Filipe Luis backed for future Chelsea job

After retiring as a player, the former left-back transitioned into management and is currently managing Flamengo in Brazil.

He guided the Brazilian club to a win over the Blues at the Club World Cup and is already being talked about as one to watch on the sidelines.

Enzo Maresca is under no pressure at the moment, but football legend Zico believes that if there is ever a change needed, Filipe Luis could be a good fit for Stamford Bridge down the line.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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