Cesc Fabregas has opened up about his departure from Arsenal and how the manner of his departure led Arsene Wenger to turn down the chance to re-sign him ahead of his move to Chelsea.
Fabregas left the Barça academy at the age of 16 to join the Gunners and became a fan favorite and club captain.
After eight seasons with the first team, he decided to rejoin his boyhood club, starting a pattern of great players leaving Wenger’s side.
Despite playing regularly, Fábregas never managed to make the same impact at the Camp Nou and the Catalan club looked to sell him just three years later.
The midfielder wanted to return to the Premier League and contacted Arsenal to re-hire him.
Arsenal had the first refusal, but Wenger turned down the midfielder’s request and eventually joined London rivals Chelsea.
Cesc Fabregas (left) has spoken about how he ‘hurt’ Arsene Wenger (R) when he left Arsenal
Speaking in Kammy and Ben’s Football Podcast, the 35-year-old said: ‘I really wanted to get back to the Premier League.
“In the contract when I signed for Barcelona we said that, after I leave, Arsenal will have the first option. They had a week to respond. So, obviously, we approached Arsenal, we said “listen, I’m leaving Barcelona and by law, you have a week to decide if you want to accept me or not.”
‘For a week I couldn’t talk to anyone (else). We found out (sic) from Arsenal, Arsene, everyone, so after a week we called Arsene and he said he had thought about it and said they already had a lot of players in my position like Mesut Ozil… Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and said that to fit in I would have to take someone out and this could create, you know… I think he was a little hurt as well… how I left and everything.
“I have nothing wrong because it is their right, their decision and they could do whatever they want.”
‘I had a few options and one of them was Chelsea. I spoke with Mourinho, I met him. He told me things that were very nice to hear. He wanted me to be the leader of that team. He just felt good.
Fabregas made the decision to return to Barcelona and play with manager Pep Guardiola
Fabregas, who recently returned to Arsenal to help academy manager Jack Wilshere coach the Under-18s, also spoke about his decision to leave the Emirates in the first place and why he now feels it was too soon.
I always said that it was the most difficult decision. In my heart, it was the easier decision in a way because of what I had in my past, because I was always a fan and it was my dream to play for Barcelona’s first team since I was a child.
But it was very hard because Arsenal gave me a lot and I felt very loved by the whole club, by the fans. The trust that had been given to me from a very, very young age…it was super, super hard for me to have to go to Arsene, the guy who gave me everything, to really say, please, I want to come back. home.”
If it wasn’t Barcelona, sure, I would have stayed at Arsenal. It does not matter that.’
“I think time is always very important in football. Looking back now, I probably should have waited a bit longer until Xavi faded a bit more, and just gone there and taken his place.
Arsenal turned down the possibility of bringing Fabregas back and signed for Chelsea instead
“Due to the frustration of so many years without winning at Arsenal and feeling that sometimes the club was not going over the line, or making very good signings to be super competitive in the Champions League and the (Premier) League, I felt that I was getting exhausted because I was giving so much and playing 60 games a season and never resting.
‘Emotionally, it affected me quite a bit. And then to see everyone winning in Barcelona, and playing so well and Pep calling me and texting me and…”I want to do this, I want to play 3-4-3, play all of you together and blah blah blah. All together it brought out the best in me and I decided it was the next step for me.’
“He (Guardiola) was a big influence because he was my idol when I was very young. I wear number 4 thanks to him. I played in his position when I was in the Barcelona youth academy. So, he was a big influence on me. And when your idol, your hero, calls you and then you see what beautiful football they are playing, and there are so many of your friends playing there… But yes, he was very important, of course.
Fabregas also admits that his lack of trophies with Arsenal is a source of great regret, the defeat in the Champions League final being the biggest.
The Spaniard now feels he left Arsenal too soon and should have waited longer.
“The biggest regret of my career will always be not winning that Champions League final (in 2006) that we came so, so close to. The first, or only, Champions League final Arsenal have ever played and I just I was 18. And we were very close.
Also, not lifting a trophy as Arsenal captain was something that will always be in my heart because I gave a lot. I exhausted myself so much. Hopefully Arsene (Wenger) knows what I gave for the club, emotionally and physically, and in terms of everything.
“Sometimes I feel…it’s just because not lifting anything, it can feel a bit like ‘Oh yeah, that was great, but nothing happened.'” Inside you, it gives you a little bit of sadness in a way, of regret. Not because I didn’t give it my all, which I did and I think I overdid it. But yeah, not lifting a trophy, a big one, because obviously the FA Cup… You know, a trophy is a trophy and it’s great, but to get to the next level, you need to win a big trophy. ‘
Fabregas has returned to Arsenal to help academy manager Jack Wilshere coach the Under-18s.
But he believes that the current team can succeed where he failed.
Asked if Arsenal can win the Premier League title, he said: “Yes, I really hope so because I can relate to this group of players a bit – with the Odegaards, the Sakas, Martinellis, Smith Rowes.” I can see myself in their eyes… I was at the training camp recently and I saw them and they are very good guys. Humble, they want to work hard.
‘There’s a lot of chemistry between them and we really had it. It’s just once we were going into March… April, March, it was always [at] that moment when we couldn’t keep up due to injuries.
You can listen to Kammy & Ben’s Proper Football Podcast here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0cpx9nk