As far as Chelsea goes in the world of football, Cesar Azpilicueta is the “boss.” He calls or texts them daily with advice, monitors their work, and most important of all, he expects success. So, his nickname of “boss” certainly makes sense. But traditional sports don’t last forever! Cesar Azpilicueta seems to get that and has with that in mind, co-founded an esports team, the Falcons.

As the captain of Chelsea’s squad, he understands the actual game of football incredibly well. This could lead him towards a path of being a traditional football coach, but for now, it looks like esports is the move. He is part owner of this new FIFA 20 team, and it could be a sleeper hit in the football esports world.

It’s not a big surprise to see a major footballer investing time and money away from the game. Willian of Chelsea, for example, owns a few restaurants alongside David Luiz. Lukas Podolski owns a kebab shop in Germany as another example. However, esports is the next big wave, and so many sports stars are getting in on it. Turning a hobby into a profitable venture can be a very exciting thing.

“We wanted a name with energy, and a name that could create content as well, that people could identify with,” Azpilicueta told ESPN. “We were all happy with the Falcons; it is an animal that flies, is very energetic, that can go fast. Everything works.”

He’s not even the first footballer to enter into the world of esports, either! Ozil has M10 eSports (FIFA and Fortnite), and Gareth Bale co-owns Ellevens Esports. There’s also Javier Mascherano with eSports Planet, and Ronaldinho has the R10 esports organization. So, it’s a massive list of successful teams that have grown out of real sports superstars.

But how did his love or interest with FIFA get started?

“It ticks so many boxes for me,” he said. And while there are contemporaries of Azpilicueta who have already plunged into the esports business, he did not consult them. “I didn’t want to make this something with footballers, because in the end the esports industry has other big teams not related to football.”

The Falcons aren’t just an esports team owned by Cesar Azpilicueta. He co-runs the team with Cacho01 and Delantero09. Cacho01 is Jose Antonio Cacho and is one of the top players of FIFA in Spain. His YouTube channel has 1.59 million followers, and that’s massive.

Next is Delantero09, or Jesus Rincon. He has 2.96 million YouTube subscribers and makes a living through online challenges with popular footballers. They will work together to oversee the Falcons three-player team and content that goes out under their banner.

FIFA’s esports scene is not one that I will pretend to comprehend. It seems pretty convoluted. Nonetheless, it’s a popular esport, with players competing under the banner of another team, usually in single-player, doing battle to claim the FIFA eWorld Cup.

It’s not an easy road to walk either. Many games have to be won via FUT Champions, which is a weekend league. Players do battle against others in 30 matches around the world. You have to then gain global series points from esports leagues, tournaments, and more. There’s even more though! You need to then get signed by football teams to represent their esports squads in tournaments, like eLa Liga.

Ultimately, the top 128 players in FIFA will be paired down to a final 32, for the eWorld Cup. 16 PS4 and 16 Xbox One players will compete to see who claims the 250,000 dollar prize. Last year, Germany’s PS4-playing Mohammed “MoAuba” Harkous won the top prize at London’s O2 Arena. I know the O2 for wrestling, but to see esports there too is a delight.

Cesar Azpilicueta and his Falcons are pretty positive going into this new esports venture. Nothing in esports is a sure thing, but signing top-tier talent in your games of choice sure helps. Their first signing was Spanish Javier “JRA” Romero, who is a six-time champion. From there they picked up David “Maximo” Cuevas and Sandra “SaNkHs” Martinez. They are incredible players and have what Cesar is looking for.

What about team values though? Some clans seem to focus on drama and having their name out there, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be Cesar’s move. “You have people that do deals in esports,” he said. “We have seen players sign deals when they do not know what they have signed — but it is their passion and they want to be earning money from it. We care for our guys.”

He added, “We have a great structure where there are people working behind the scenes on everything so that our players feel like they have people working for them, too. There is a manager, people working on social media, on Twitch, on content. It is far more than just having a player sitting behind a TV trying to win a game.”

According to Cesar, he wants his team to stay aggressive, especially if they have a lead. No chump strategies like wearing the time down just to win via 1-0. He wants them to grow professionally and personally, and to act like athletes. Ambition, humility, respect, they are three pillars which are perhaps most important.

I can respect that kind of attitude. You have to want to grow, to work hard, and constantly strive for success. Cesar Azipilicueta can only set them up to succeed. His team has to do the actual work, and he expects great things. It’s up to them to do the work, but he can do a great deal in installing values, morals, and a strong desire to win in them. He can analyze play, offer strategies, but he cannot make them win.

I think the Falcons are going to have a successful year either way.