The Spanish defender has reached the 400-look mark for the Blues, but has yet to get his hands on the most prestigious award in Europe.
Cesar Azpilicueta has made 400 appearances for Chelsea and has helped the Blues to the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League honors – but the “biggest prize” now available is in his sights and he looks to run down the Champions League glory.
Succeeding at the highest levels in Europe to date has been difficult for the long-serving Spaniard at Stamford Bridge.
He was taken out of Marseille in the summer of 2012, a few months after the Blues beat the continent for the first time in their history.
They have been governors in the Champions League competition since getting their hands on that cash, but a series of managers have failed in Roberto Di Matteo ‘s performance.
Azpilicueta has been a major hurdle for Chelsea in their many quest for more major awards, with the 31-year-old set to complete his collection before leaving for west London.
The Blues captain told a club official website, with Frank Lampard ‘s side against Atletico Madrid in the last 16 years: “It’ s the biggest prize, and being a Chelsea player is your biggest goal for awards.
“That’s one thing I want to achieve. We know it’s a new tournament that starts in February, seven games, and every detail counts. We need to learn from last season’s Bayern Munich games, get it right and hope to go as far as possible. ”
Azpilicueta has been a revelation for Chelsea following a £ 7m ($ 10m) deal, but he wants to make sure his standards do not slip amid further competition for places from the likes of Reece James and he believes that he still has a lot to offer. his ninth season with the club.
He said when he became Blues captain and striker at Stamford Bridge: “You couldn’t think of it then. When you first sign up, you see such good players who have won the Champions League, you just want to be a part of it and win prizes. I won prizes with Marseille but this was a step forward.
“I will try to improve. I always analyze my game, and sometimes I find myself hard. As a perfectionist you always want more. To be a captain now, I’m incredibly proud, but if you had asked me that back in the day, it would have been hard to predict. ”
Chelsea, who suffered a wobble in the Premier League late, will be back in action on Sunday in the FA Cup third round case with Morecambe.