By Adam Crafton and Pete Jenson for the Daily Mail
Published: 22:38 GMT, 25 February 2019 | Updated: 22:38 GMT, 25 February 2019
View
comments
If Maurizio Sarri has taken to pacing around Chelsea’s training ground in the same ferocious manner as he demonstrated at Wembley, it may be handy for Kepa Arrizabalaga to call on a friend named ‘Rocky’.
Not that Kepa’s version of Rocky has much in common with Sylvester Stallone’s character. Indeed, ask those who grew up in the Basque Country for their abiding memory of Kepa and it is usually his curious habit of searching the countryside for goldfinches and training them up to sing in competitions.
For Kepa this was the ultimate father-son activity and the younger self of this Chelsea goalkeeper spent much of his childhood perfecting the tones of his three competing goldfinches — Rocky, Raikkonen and Oker. Kepa twice won regional prizes with the latter goldfinch.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga used to train goldfinches to sing in competitions
Kepa Arrizabalaga built a reputation at Athletic Bilbao as a timid and straightforward character
Since arriving as the world’s most expensive goalkeeper in a £72m transfer from Athletic Bilbao last summer, Kepa has barely caused a moment’s trouble.
Only last week one senior Chelsea source was praising Kepa, describing his timid and straightforward character as a welcome change from the more fraught relationship that the club endured with Thibaut Courtois and the goalkeeper’s father.
Some at Chelsea have even questioned whether Kepa has the resilience to lead a side at the highest level. After Sunday, at least, we know he is not short of a stubborn streak.
During the extraordinary episode at
