Chelsea players united by off-field uncertainty, says Azpilicueta

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.”