Azpilicueta: Conte’s winning mentality was amazing from day one

Cesar Azpilicueta has praised the impact of Antonio Conte at Chelsea this season, saying the Italian’s winning mentality from day one has been “amazing” to see.

Conte has enjoyed a hugely successful first season at Stamford Bridge, leading the Blues to the Premier League title with a record-breaking 30 wins and to the FA Cup final where Chelsea will play London rivals Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday.

The Chelsea players have spoken glowingly about Conte all season, with Victor Moses recently revealing the team “love” the 47- year-old for the way he has injected confidence and belief back into the squad.

And Azpilicueta, who has played every single minute under Conte this term, has also praised the Chelsea boss for the “big goals” he set out to achieve when he first arrived at the club last summer.

“From the beginning he was very clear about what he wanted to achieve,” the Spaniard told Chelsea’s website.

“His winning mentality was amazing since the first day. He didn’t just want to come here and do better than last season, he wanted to achieve big goals.

“We worked for that and we got our rewards, we’re in the final of the FA Cup and we have a chance to win the Double.”

After playing the entirety of Chelsea’s final game of the season – a 5-1 thrashing of Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Sunday – Azpilicueta became only the fourth outfield player to feature in every minute of every match during a Premier League title- winning campaign.

The 27-year-old admits playing so much this season hasn’t been easy, but he expressed his gratitude to Conte for making him a trusted member of the Chelsea starting XI.

“Obviously it’s not easy to play every minute and win the league,” he said. “It’s a big achievement. I’ve tried to do my best to get in the team but I have to be thankful to the manager, he’s trusted me a lot.

“I was always in the team and the only way I could repay his confidence was by working hard which is what I’ve tried to do since pre-season. In the end we got a big reward but we want a bigger one next Saturday.”