MY ACCOUNT
Chelsea’s players are being united by the club’s off-field issues and will not let the ongoing uncertainty affect their performances, according to captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale earlier this month and has since had his assets frozen by the United Kingdom government and the European Union.
Abramovich has close ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin and was sanctioned following his country’s invasion of Ukraine, putting the club’s sale in doubt.
However, Abramovich can still apply for a special licence to sell the club, provided none of the proceeds benefit the Russian oligarch.
A number of interested parties stepped forward with offers ahead of last Friday’s deadline, and it has been reported a deal could go through before the end of the month.
While takeover talk has dominated over the past three weeks, it has been business as usual for Chelsea on the pitch with six wins in a row in all competitions.
And Azpilicueta, who is away with Spain on international duty, insists it is a case of taking each day as it comes at Stamford Bridge until the ownership situation is resolved.
“We are living in moments of uncertainty at Chelsea, that is the reality,” Azpilicueta told a news conference.
“The uncertainty isn’t great, but what we players have to do is work. We are entering a decisive phase of the season and the situation is out of our hands.
“We are experiencing something new. Day by day we discover information, but on a day-to-day basis nothing has affected us. We have not experienced major changes.”
As part of the sanctions, Chelsea have been prevented from selling merchandise or new tickets.
That may force the Blues to play next month’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid without any fans at Stamford Bridge.
“I’m not sure what the latest is with tickets against Madrid,” Azpilicueta said. “Of course we’d rather have fans behind us for that game.
“But the predisposition for the squad has always been to act in the right way. There is unity and strength from the team and the fans.
“We are living in moment of uncertainty, but we are very united. There is always a predisposition to help out where we can.”
Azpilicueta has spent the past 10 seasons with Chelsea and has won every trophy available at club level over that time, most recently lifting the Club World Cup in February.
The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the campaign and is reportedly close to agreeing terms with Barcelona ahead of becoming a free agent.
However, Azpilicueta was not willing to discuss his future when probed on the topic on Wednesday.
“This is not the place or the time,” he said. “What we have learned with the pandemic is to live day to day and in the moment.”
