Spaniard signed on in the capital last summer and is playing his first campaign in England.
Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta has admitted that the club’s current fixture schedule is “crazy” as the west London club go in search of a top four finish in the Premier League come the end of the season, as well as victory in next Wednesday’s Europa League final against Benfica, says the Independent.
The Spain international only arrived at Stamford Bridge at the beginning of this campaign, signing from Ligue 1 giants Olympique de Marseille for just £7 million on a five-year contract.
However, the 23-year-old has so far featured in an extraordinary 45 matches in all competitions as the club itself has been involved in a mind-boggling 66 contests in all.
Head coach Rafa Benitez and his players have competed in the Fifa World Club Cup, the Uefa European Super Cup, the Uefa Champions League and Europa League.
Meanwhile on the domestic front, the Blues reached the semi-final stage of both the Capital One Cup and the FA Cup, as well as playing in the Community Shield and taking part in 37 top-flight fixtures to date.
“Physically and mentally it is difficult, because every three days you have a massive game,” Azpilicueta said. “We are fighting for every trophy. So you don’t have time to think about the last game. You always need to be focused on the next game. It’s the first time I have played a lot of games like this, every three days.
“We have played finals for four or five months now. Every week we have a massive game, in the FA Cup, Capital One Cup, Premier League or Europa League. We had this target and now we have three more finals – against Villa, Benfica and then Everton.
“I think that playing for Chelsea you have the responsibility to win every game. Every trophy – we were fighting for seven trophies at the start of the season. The physical side of it is different. The second half of the season has been crazy. Different to France.”
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