Monday, 11th February, 2013
Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta has explained that the Blues will be going all out to win the Europa League, a trophy he still considers an important one in the game.
The Blues won the Champions League last season, famously beating Bayern Munich in their own backyard in the final in Munich, but the current campaign saw the holders exit the competition at the group stage.
Chelsea are now though in the Europa League and start their campaign with a tie against Czech outfit Sparta Prague on Thursday.
While finishing in the Premier League’s top four remains the priority at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta insists that the Europa League will be treated very seriously.
And, the Spaniard claims, it is silverware Chelsea want to get their hands on, with making history very much in their minds.
relatedNewsStory
"We want to play every few days because it means we are still in competition", he told his club’s official site.
"It is very important for the team to keep going in the Europa League and the FA Cup.
"It is true the Europa League is not the same as the Champions League because that is the top but the Europa League is a big competition, an important competition, and now we have the chance to win it.
"Never in the history of Chelsea have we won this cup and we are going to try to do it."
The Blues warmed up for their Thursday clash by impressively beating Wigan 4-1 at the weekend, closing the gap to second-placed Manchester City in the table to four points after the Citizens lost 3-1 at Southampton.
If you like football betting, take a peek at Inside Bet! Free bets, tips, the best markets. Check out Inside Bet now.
