“I’m not the most talkative person so sometimes people don’t understand” – Chelsea star opens up on mentally tough decision to leave club this summer

Andreas Christensen has confirmed that he will be leaving Chelsea this summer. The Danish defender was on the list of players released by the club (via football.london), but this is the first time he has confirmed the departure.

Christensen's contract at Chelsea expires this month and he rejected all advancements for a renewal by the club. Reports from GOAL suggest he has agreed to join Barcelona, but that has not been confirmed yet.

Expand Tweet

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Christensen claimed it felt like the right time 'for a new beginning'. He has been at Stamford Bridge for a decade and became an integral part of the first team towards the end of his stint with the club. He said:

"Having spent ten amazing years at this club, I felt now was the right time for a new beginning for me and my family. Mentally the last few months have been tough as it's not been an easy decision to leave this club and the fans. I'm not the most talkative person so sometimes people don't understand how much the club and the fans mean to me. I will miss the players, staff and everyone here. I wish the best for the club and the fans in the future."

Christensen reflects on his time at Chelsea

Andreas Christensen spoke about his time at Stamford Bridge, saying he was proud of what he has achieved at the club.

Expand Tweet

He spoke about his favourite moments and said:

"Some of my proudest moments at the club were when we won FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League. Those were a special group of young players that I was proud to have as teammates. I was fortunate to play under some fantastic managers including [Antonio] Conte, [Jose] Mourinho and now Thomas Tuchel. Last year was my proudest achievement as a player when we lifted the Champions League in Porto. I was a young boy at Chelsea with all the hopes and fears of a player starting his career, I'm grateful to the whole club for making my dream come true."

During his time at the club, the Danish star won the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

About the author

Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist, who has been with the company for around 9.5 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.

Sripad has been a Chelsea fan through and through since the age of 9 and can watch their 2012 Champions League triumph on repeat. The undisputed ‘GOAT’ according to him is Lionel Messi and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Apart from popular European leagues, he also likes to follow other leagues like the MLS, Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie, and Liga MX.

Sripad believes in only using the right sources for his articles, and is an expert in understanding how to get the right quotes for each news to provide proper background information. His exploits have led him to become a popular figure in European Football and interviewing Premier League legends such as Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Paul Dickov, and John Barnes. His articles have been much revered amongst the football fraternity and have been shared by the likes of John Terry, Gary Lineker, and Declan Rice.

If given a chance to change a football rule, Sripad wants VAR to be fully automated and offside rules to be less stringent. When not working, he likes to watch past Formula 1 races and play FIFA.

Know More

Edited by Sankalp Srivastava