Veteran Chelsea footballer Cesar Azpilicueta believes that the English Premier League is becoming more competitive with passing time.
Azpilicueta is one of six Chelsea players who have achieved the impressive feat of making 500 appearances for the club.
After spending more than a decade at the club, the defender believes that a lot has changed in the Premier League over the past few years.
“Now the Premier League and football in general is becoming more competitive. Every club has more power and can get better players. The pace of the game is quicker and there is more data. The atmosphere always in the Premier League has been nice, even though now we have social media which sometimes can have a negative effect,” Azpilicueta was quoted as saying on Chelsea’s official website.
“I've seen incidents that shouldn't happen, even in the stadiums. I think we are in a different society that feeds into football, but you know what, when you step up on the pitch and with the away fans, I think it is the best atmosphere in the world to play football,” he added.
The 33-year-old also opened up about wearing the captain’s armband on the field.
“Being the captain of Chelsea has a responsibility of course and I embrace it. When I was first handed the vice-captain role in 2017 and then became captain in 2018, I’d learned from so many players, captains and vice-captains, during my career,” he said.
“You have seen how they manage defeat and different situations. Sometimes you might not like how but everyone is a different personality and you have to develop as a leader, as a captain, and try to improve every day,” he concluded.