{"id":14878,"date":"2026-07-07T00:17:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=14878"},"modified":"2026-07-07T00:17:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:17:16","slug":"reece-james-and-frank-lampard-react-as-chelsea-legend-announces-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=14878","title":{"rendered":"Reece James and Frank Lampard react as Chelsea legend announces retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Chelsea legend Cesar Azpilicueta has announced he will be hanging up his boots at the end of this season, with plenty of the current squad quick to give their reactions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Azpilicueta was at Chelsea between 2012 and 2023, racking up more than 500 appearances across the defence for the Blues.<\/p>\n

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He would captain the side on numerous occasions, lifting the Champions League trophy in 2021 after an excellent individual performance against Manchester City.<\/p>\n

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Has Cole Palmer been wronged? Or is it just deserved for his poor form?\ud83e\udd14<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Reece James and Frank Lampard react to Cesar Azpilicueta retirement<\/h2>\n

Since leaving Stamford Bridge, he has played for Atletico Madrid and now Sevilla, where he is set to retire after one season with them.<\/p>\n

Azpilicueta took to Instagram to announce his retirement, as he prepares for punditry work at the upcoming World Cup.<\/p>\n

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A host of current and former Chelsea players responded in the comments. Current captain Reece James left a blue heart emoji, whilst Marc Cucurella, Olivier Giroud and Antonio Rudiger were amongst those who wished him well.<\/p>\n

Frank Lampard, who was a teammate and manager of Azpilicueta, also left a nice comment, saying:<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations on an incredible career mate and all the best for whatever is coming next.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Where will Chelsea be in the table by 6pm on Sunday afternoon?\ud83d\ude2c<\/h3>\n

7th and 8th are the European places!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Via – GRV Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Cesar Azpilicueta has shout for Chelsea\u2019s most improved player of all time<\/h2>\n

It took a while for the Spaniard to make his mark at Stamford Bridge, although he ended up making himself the first name on the teamsheet for a number of different managers.<\/p>\n

John Obi Mikel said Azpilicueta was terrible when he first joined the club, struggling to get into the side on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Gary Cahill would end up describing Azpilicueta as the most underrated player in club history, with the two featuring together in two different Premier League title-winning campaigns.<\/p>\n

He is the best case study for players not giving up if they endure a tough start to life in West London, something a number of current first team stars can take into the Xabi Alonso era.<\/p>\n

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