Cesc Fabregas Fans

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Spain

Cesc left the spanish squad last night, citing ‘serious family matters’. He flew back to Barcelona and won’t be participating in the match against Bosnia.

Spain beat Armenia 2-1 on Saturday, with Cesc being one of the goalscorers. You can view a full match report here.

Here is a video of Cesc’s goal. What a pass, and what a finish!
I have added ten pictures of Cesc at the match in the latest photos section.

After the match Cesc said:
“I always credit my goals to those who assist me.(Xavi assisted)Before people said that we could not play together. We do our talking on the pitch.

We should be humble in Bosnia.We need to take things slowly and concentrate on football.”

Nike transcript

Carolyn who works for Nike sent us a transcipt of Cesc’s interview at the launch of the CTR360 Boot and Nike Football+. A big thank you to Carolyn and Nike for sending in the interview! We really appreciate it.

Some of the interview was already posted up in the previous post ( the one in 442 magazine) so I have filtered out the questions that were posted iin 442 magazine. Here are the ones that did not appear in that magazine:

Two of the key characteristics of your game are control and passing. Does it help to have Nike develop the CTR360 boots that are based on your style of play?

Cesc Fabregas

Definitely. I think now I’ve been training with them for a few weeks. They feel really comfortable, and it’s great that they can do some special boots for players like me that, we pass a lot the ball, with the internal part of the boot or the external part, and for the control it’s really good, so we are really pleased with it.

How does it help you to control the ball?

Cesc Fabregas

Well, it has some new things that they have introduced in the boot. Especially, especially for when you kick the ball with the middle of the foot you don’t have the tongue there, you know, and they put some things in the external part as well for the control of the boot. It makes it softer, and I think it feels really good and I’m excited about playing with it.

One of the fascinating things about boots is that every player in different positions use different boots. Do you think that’s how it should be?

Cesc Fabregas

Well, yes I think so, because every player has different characteristics of play. You can have players like Theo, you know, who is really quick, probably who will need a lighter boot. Me, I don’t need that. I will always be slow. But every player is different, really.

Nike is presenting, an online training programme called Nike Football+, and you’ve been involved in creating some of the content around a signature move, called a 180- degree cushioned turn. Can you tell us about the move?

Cesc Fabregas

Well, in midfield you need a lot of movement. You have to be asking for the ball all the time, looking for the ball, and in my position I have to be moving all the time. So as you can see, you first move the defender outside. After you come back, you ask for the ball. And in this one or two seconds that you win, you’ll create the time to turn on the ball. This allows you get past your opponent because he lost those one or two seconds. After you can play your team mate in with a simple pass.

Football isn’t just something where you go out into the pitch and play. You have to practise these moves, don’t you? You have to work at it.

Cesc Fabregas

Yes, definitely. You always have a level of instinct, but definitely you have to train a lot. You have to know what you are doing, you have to know when you are doing it, and trying always to make the right decision is difficult.

Do you think the idea behind Nike Football+ is a good one where young footballers are able to insight and advice from players like yourself, Iniesta, and the Barcelona coaching staff?

Cesc Fabregas

Yes, it’s great, because I think if you look at professional footballers and they show you how to do things you can learn something from it, I think it’s really good. I used to do that as well, you know, when I was really young. And we are happy that we can help some young talented players as well.

What do you do specifically to train, and improve your touch and your control?

Cesc Fabregas

At Arsenal we do a lot of drills with mannequins. You know, always one twos, one-touch, control. The boss likes it a lot, you know, because we are a team that, of course we know where every player plays but if the striker can go in midfield, the midfield can go as a striker. There’s always a lot of movement, and we train a lot, yes, with the mannequins: one-twos, first touch, two-touch, but as few touches as possible.

Do you use the space of the training pitch?

Cesc Fabregas

Yes, we play a lot of five against two, or sometimes you play seven against three, things like these, always in small places where you don’t have time to think. And it helps a lot after, when you’re in the game.

Is it fair to think that maybe young footballers don’t realise how much work you put into becoming you?

Cesc Fabregas

Well, yes. You have to have luck, definitely, but you have to spend a lot of hours training, improving at what you are maybe not as good, trying to be better at what you’re already good at. And yes, you have to spend a lot of time and you have to have someone as well that tells you, you know, how to do it, and to teach you how to do things.

Because of the way you’ve developed and trained as a footballer you can play in different positions in midfield and even in the attack, and you do so with Spain. Which position do you prefer?

Cesc Fabregas

It is difficult. Probably the one I’m playing now is where I feel most comfortable. I’m still getting there, you know, to be at my best in that position. Because I think it’s different, when I started at Arsenal: we were playing 4-4-2, I was one of those two in the middle so I could come very deep to get the ball and when I was young it was really good for me because I had more time from deep positions to link with other players, to move forward from deep. Now my position is higher up on the pitch, sometimes I don’t touch as often as I used to touch, so I have to be patient. But I know I’m in this part of the pitch where I can do dangerous things in terms of giving the final ball, and I have more time to go to dangerous positions, you know, to score a goal as well. I feel more freedom in that position.

You’ll be playing at Blackburn on 4 October. It’s the first time you’ll be using the boots in an official game. How important is it, both the touch and control, with teams that don’t give you much space?

Cesc Fabregas

It’s vital. Because when you play against teams like Blackburn, for example, they put a lot of pressure on you, especially in midfield. They know that if they let us play we can be dangerous, and it’s really difficult to play against them because they are always quick. They mark tight and if you are not quick with your feet and with your control it’s going to be difficult.

Do you see that the teams in the Champion’s League are improving technically? The European teams, technically and tactically, seem to be becoming more difficult to beat?

Cesc Fabregas

Well, I think Champions League is a different competition, because when you play Champions League you play against the best teams of all the leagues in Europe, so if they are the best in their league that means they will always try to play football. And you can see always Olympiakos, even Liège when we played the first game, they tried to play football, they attack. They have a go at you. And it’s nice. I like it, and we appreciate that, to play these kinds of games.

You are 22, and you’ve been given the captains armband. What has Arsène Wenger seen in you to give you this?

Cesc Fabregas

I don’t know. It’s difficult for me to answer that because I don’t really know. I always try to give my best. Sometimes I will play bad, but I always try to give everything in every single game, in every single training, and that’s what I try to do, really.

I guess you can’t predict how the team or even the players develop, but you are leading a young team, the room for improvement is still significant. Can you see that happening this season? How can the team and the players become better?

Cesc Fabregas

All the players are one year older and they are much better. They are training for Arsenal, they are training with the great players, and we all learn in training, in games, watching other games, playing against tough teams, so of course I believe we can do it. If not, you don’t really play football. You play football to win and that’s what I want to do, and Arsenal wants to do, the team want to do it, and we believe we can achieve something.

One player that has arrived and has made an immediate impact is Arshavin. What kind of relationship do you have with him, and what are your thoughts on him?

Cesc Fabregas

Oh, very good. Very good. I think he’s a special talent. It’s a shame that he left late from the Russian league, but he’s given another dimension to the team. Last year straight away he made a great impact and we should feel lucky that we have him in our team.

How about Thomas Vermaelen? He’s also a new addition and he has given something, maybe people were criticising before, the weakness at the back. Has that improved?

Cesc Fabregas

I’m a big fan of him. He’s been doing so well. It’s difficult in this position, especially from centre back because you will always be compared to some other players, or if you know that your defence is one of your weaknesses then you have to do even better to be loved by the people, and I think the fans clicked straight away with him since his first game. He scored a goal, played amazing, his confidence is high at the moment. And with the ball he’s really good. He’s like one more midfielder. Those days, to have a centre back that can play, you know, these balls on the ground, between the lines, and past players, for players like me in midfield it’s really good because it gives you so much time and so much space on the ball. It’s really good.

This season is a fascinating Premier League season where it seems like there are new teams contending for the title. So it seems so far. Who do you think those will be who are, again, the main title contenders.

Cesc Fabregas

It’s really difficult to say that. How many games, six games played. Seven. It’s nothing, you know. But of course you can see teams like Man City, Tottenham, they are doing very well. And of course it will be hard, there. They will try to be in Champions League, UEFA. And it’s difficult. It’s difficult. Chelsea are looking strong. Man United as always. They don’t have Ronaldo and Tevez, but they will be there at the end, fighting for it. Liverpool as well, so it’s going to be difficult.

When you arrived at Arsenal it was a team of established players. What do you remember about your arrival, and what did you learn?

Cesc Fabregas

I don’t know. I have always said I was very, very lucky. I think when I arrived I was probably the only boy at 16 who was training with the first team every day, and I was training with Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Kanu, Vieira. They were all World Cup champions, European champions, they won Premier Leagues. They were 28, they had experiences, they were talking to me, they were helping me. Now maybe, you know, because we were too young, we are too young, it is a little bit more difficult for them, but at the same time because we are very young and the boss gives a lot of opportunities to young players – it’s easier for them to play now than it was before. But I must say, I have always said that I was really lucky, because to play with players like them, you know, it’s unbelievable and I will always remember that.

Is there one thing you really want to win?

Cesc Fabregas

I think the Premier League is a tournament that I really want to win. It’s so special. I’ve been here now six seasons with the first team, and it would be nice to win it, because it’s a special competition and being champions of England would be one of the best days of my life, definitely.

We were talking about Wenger and the advice that he was giving you. If you had to remember one advice by a manager or a player, or even a person what do you remember?

Cesc Fabregas

I don’t know. My parents, they have always, since I was very little, they have always been there for me. I’ve been very lucky as well, my friends. I’ve got the same friends since I’m three years old. You grow up with them, you can talk to them about everything and they help you in the difficult moments. You go out with them and they don’t start talking about football; they just talk about whatever. Or if I played badly, like the other day against Fulham, ‘What a rubbish game’. It’s not they’re going to come out, ‘You played so well today’, because they are my friends now. They are so honest and I like people like that. Yes, it’s good.

Finish this sentence: ‘If I didn’t play football I would…’

Cesc Fabregas

I would be studying, probably, with the rest of my friends.

We were also sent some pictures of Cesc at the interview. We will be putting them up soon so watch out for them!

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