Ten fascinating and previously unknown things we learnt from Arsenal legend Cesc Fabregas’ interview | OneFootball

It says a lot about how good Cesc Fabregas was at Arsenal, that despite winning the majority of his medals elsewhere, he will always be firstly associated with the Gunners. North London was where he lived since 16, growing up into a man.

If ever there was a player who deserved more trophies to show for his efforts at the Emirates, it was him.

In a week where Nwaneri is being called more skilful then Yamal based on 0 starts in senior football, Cesc Fabregas is the classic example of a teenager who broke through.

By 17 he had the body of work to back up the hype.

Gary Lineker visited him in Italy where he’s now managing Como in Seria A, and you can listen to his interview on The Rest Is Football podcast on YouTube….

Here are 10 things we learnt from their chat…

La Masia

Fabregas was part of an academy class of a ‘who’s who’ in the history of the Sport.

Many going on to be part of Barcelona’s Golden Generation.

It was here where Fabregas noticed one of his peers able to dribble the ball past everyone else, like the best kid does on the school playground. He was called Messi, and he turned out to have quite a good career.

Fabregas himself always had self-doubt that he belonged at that level, even when he turned professional.

It reminds me of Frank Lampard’s approach to the Sport. Any setback, criticism, even defeat in training led to more work and practise to maximise his potential.

Moving To England

To give you an insight into the process of how Arsenal look after a 16-year-old moving from another country, they have a business relationship with live in landlords who provide the club’s youngsters with accommodation and food.

It means the teenager and his family didn’t have to worry about the stress of buying or renting in a whole new country.

For such a young age you would think that leaving your family in Spain, adapting to a fresh culture and learning a new language would overwhelm a teenager.

Yet Fabregas had become independent from his days spent at La Masia.

So, he left his parents and lived in London with a house mate called Philip Senderos, two years older.

Their employers thought this was a good choice as the defender spoke perfect Spanish. He was equally seen as a future superstar.

It’s fair to say it worked out for one of them.

Good To Be a Gooner

Fabregas to this day is very grateful to Arsenal realising Arsene Wenger was the man to give him the opportunity a lot sooner than had he stayed in Spain. He views the Frenchman as a father figure.

Now a manager, he stresses to youngsters ‘it’s not when you get your chance, it’s about making the most of it when you get it’.

Where some Gooners wanted an Eddie Nketiah to have 200 chances, the then 17-year-old started the 2004 season and never looked back.

He was surrounded by winners. The biggest compliment he could give a Vieira or Henry was they wanted him to excel as much as he did.

Like a Tony Adams, David Seaman and Lee Dixon would teach the French Connection the principles of the club, which was now being passed on to the next generation.

Pizza Gate

We know at this point that Fabregas was the man who threw a slice of pizza at Sir Alex. Always nice though to hear the culprit himself tell the story.

An unused sub at Old Trafford, the midfielder was angry at the nature of how our 49 unbeaten streaks had ended.

He and Pires got to the dressing room first where a Pepperoni pizza was waiting for them.

As they are having a slice, they hear a commotion in the corridor and see the likes of Henry and Vieira pushing and shoving with Keane and Ferdinand until a brawl started.

Realising he was a lot smaller than his peers, but wanting to support his mates, the Spaniard threw the first thing he could reach into the crowd, not aiming for anyone but just thinking it might break up the fracas.

It landed square on the head of Sir Alex!

Once A Gooner Always a Gooner

A lot of big names have admitted regretting ever leaving Arsenal. Fabregas doesn’t quite say that, but say due to his connections, Barcelona would have been the only club who could tempt him into leaving.

He feels he should have stayed longer at the Emirates and waited for the time where Xavi needed replacing.

Pep vs Wenger.

Naturally the question was asked about the differences between the two managers.

Both styles that Fabregas tries to implement now at Como.

Mr Wenger trusted youngsters and was focused on positional play, trusting talent to have freedom and work out problems for themselves.

Mr Guardiola was stricter tactically and was obsessed over every last detail until instructions were clear.

With every coach now trying to recreate what Man City are doing, Fabregas feels in the short term this now hinders a youngsters development.

He feels the days of being promoted from the academy and using your own initiative are gone.

Instead, he worries that players now only function on instructions and can’t think for themselves. He compares them to robots.

Grass Not Greener

It wasn’t that Fabregas wasn’t successful on his return to the Nou Camp, but he was never loved like maybe he assumed he would be back home.

With expectation high, you sense our former captain wasn’t comfortable going from the face of Arsenal to constantly having to seek approval from the Catalan public and press, who understandably worshipped the midfielders he was attempting to replace.

When Barca failed to win La Liga, he felt the media targeted himself, Sanchez and Villa purely because they were not associated only with Barcelona.

This convinced him at 27 to spend his peak years where he would be appreciated.

It’s not mentioned here if Arsenal refused to trigger a buy back clause in the player’s contract.

Fabregas did want to return to the UK though, so his agent in one day arranged back-to-back meetings with officials from both Manchester clubs and Chelsea.

Admitting as a Gunner of disliking the Blues, it was a conversation with Jose Mourinho which sold him on a switch to Stamford Bridge.

He credits the Portuguese as making him feel the best he ever felt. He would lift every domestic honour with our rivals.

Run In with The Police

He did well to keep this story quiet!

2 years before they would dominate Football for a 4-year spell, members of Spain’s Golden Generation were out for a meal at the 2006 World Cup.

As their taxi pulled up to a restaurant the then teenager opened the door, connecting with a cyclist who was left seriously injured.

Fabregas had to be questioned at a jail In Germany, with his teammates paying his bail.

The next morning his manager knocked on the door leaving the player fearing for his international future and awaiting all kind of headlines.

The police confirmed though that the cyclist had been drinking and was the one acting recklessly.

Nesquik

From 2008-20012 you could argue Fabregas was part of the greatest ever football team.

Spain not just lifted the World Cup, sandwiched between 2 Euros, they did so while playing beautiful football.

Yet his favourite memories from this period was at midnight in the hotel.

The whole squad would meet in a room where staff would lay on croissants and a glass of Nesquik.

Till approx. 2 am, everyone would tuck in while sharing their stories.

Something beautiful about that simplicity

Thierry Henry

This is great for a trivia quiz.

Thierry Henry ended up being Cesc Fabregas’s captain, manager and now one of his bosses!

After playing together Henry signed Fabregas at Monaco.

When Fabregas retired as a player at Como but stayed on as part of the coaching team, he was asked did he have any connections that would give the then Seria B club some glamour.

Thierry Henry is now a stakeholder.

Dan

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