Cesar Azpilicueta spent two decades clawing his way to the summit of European football — and now, following his retirement, he says the sport has left him needing a genuine break before he considers what comes next.

The former Chelsea captain spoke to BBC Sport at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, where he collected a diploma in global football sport directorship through the PFA Business School. It is the latest addition to a portfolio of academic achievements that already includes a qualification from Harvard Business School and an MBA from the Berlin School of Business and Innovation.

Studying on the eve of glory

One detail from Azpilicueta's career captures his character perfectly. On the night before Chelsea's UEFA Champions League final victory over Manchester City in Porto in 2021, he was unable to sleep and turned to his MBA coursework instead. Hours later, he lifted the trophy as club captain.

"When I was a kid my parents pushed me to get good grades and finish school," he told BBC Sport. "Education was always important. When Covid-19 arrived, we had more time. I found some courses — I wanted to learn, improve myself and do it in another language."

He is adamant the academic work shaped him as a leader. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it gave him the confidence to represent Premier League players in high-level discussions. When owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Azpilicueta helped organise initiatives to keep Chelsea functioning.

From Osasuna to Stamford Bridge

Azpilicueta, 35, began at boyhood club Osasuna before moving to Marseille, where he learned French. His £7 million switch to Chelsea in 2012, however, proved transformative. He arrived as a largely unknown quantity into a dressing room populated by legends: John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard, and Ashley Cole.

"I wasn't a star signing. I had to find my way," he said. "Left-back, wing-back, centre-back in a back three — it was about consistency. I had to work hard to stay fit and adapt to different managers and different positions."

He succeeded Terry and then Gary Cahill as captain, and few would dispute that he ranks among Chelsea's greatest leaders. Yet since departing Stamford Bridge in 2023 — part of a mass exodus when the club changed ownership from Abramovich to its current American-led consortium in 2022 — he has not returned.

"I left Chelsea, but Chelsea will always stay in my heart," he said. "I follow every game and I hope the club comes back to where it belongs. I have confidence that Xabi [Alonso], the staff and the players will do good work."

A quiet life after the final whistle

Azpilicueta, 37, finished his playing career last season at Sevilla. He admits that even casual football with friends is now impossible — the competitive instinct still runs too deep.

"It was time to stop playing football because, even though I could probably still play, I didn't have the energy to commit myself fully for an entire season," he reflected. "At the moment I have another commitment, which is my family. I want to play some golf and enjoy life."

When asked whether a move into sporting directorship might beckon — a role his qualifications would support — he replied simply: "Maybe." He also promised that a return to Stamford Bridge is coming, adding with characteristic modesty: "I won't be putting on my boots, though."