Cesc: “I’m so happy that I try to disguise it sometimes

Cesc Fabregas couldn’t have started on a better note with FC Barcelona. He has won the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with the club, playing a vital role in both the matches. Even his fortunes with the national team have changed as seen in the two goals that he scored in the friendly against Chile. Fabregas is riding high on the recent successes on the pitch and the joy of returning home. totalBarca brings to you the translation of Cesc Fabregas’s extensive interview to Spanish newspaper El Pais on September 5. The original can be found here:

When did you know your time at Arsenal was up?

I knew all along that last season was decisive. We (Arsenal) were in four competitions: the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Premier League, where we were second. In the end, we couldn’t win anything. But it’s not just because I won nothing. I had been thinking of returning to Barcelona for a long time and then Barca showed interest… To me, the only two options were moving to Barca or staying at Arsenal. I never thought of moving for money or any motivation other than returning home. I never even considered another option. I’d been receiving offers (from other clubs) since I was 18. 

Was any of those offers from Real Madrid?

It doesn’t matter. It’s not necessary to name clubs. But the truth is that I’ve had several offers ever since I was 18.

Did you feel kidnapped by Arsène Wenger?

People have a wrong image of him. If not for him, I wouldn’t be a Barcelona player now because I wouldn’t have started my career at 16 or played a Champions League Final at 18. I wouldn’t have been a captain at 20…Without him, who knows where I’d be right now? I surely wouldn’t be a Barca player now, because he helped me with the Arsenal board, who didn’t want to sell me at any price. He convinced them, he pressured them to lower the asking price. 

Was he convinced when you gave up a portion of your salary to allow Barca to reach the 34 million euros demanded by Arsenal?

No, he already knew my wish. 

Do you owe a debt to the Gunners?

I gave my all and that allows me to leave with a clean conscience. I couldn’t have done more. My stats over the past seven years are there for all to see. I think my individual performance was good. But as far as titles are concerned, I left with a bitter feeling. I couldn’t win the Premier League and I was very close on three occasions. In that sense, I would like to have done a bit more, but I couldn’t.

What do you take away from London? 

Many memories, the city… London will always be my city. I didn’t make great friendships on a social level, but I leave friends in the Arsenal locker room, like Rosicky or Carlos Vela, people who were and are a lot more than just teammates. And Wenger, of course. Without him, I’d be nothing. Not a World Cup champion, nothing.

Was it sadder to leave Arsenal or Barcelona back in 2003?

I was more immature when I left Barca, I was merely a boy back then. I didn’t think I’d ever reach Barcelona’s first team because back then things were very different. Just look at Andrés (Iniesta). He was 23 and he wasn’t a starter in the Paris final, although they only really start playing well when he came on to the pitch. I thought: “If Andrés doesn’t start, where would I be?”. I was a Juvenil, so I’d probably be in the Juvenil A team. When I left London, I had a much better perception of what was happening, what I was leaving behind and where I was going, and that made it a bit sadder.

How was the last day with Wenger?

I’ll treasure it forever. I had so many conversations with him… his words will live with me all my life. That last day… uff! I could barely talk. I got too emotional and couldn’t really say anything. I called him later, when I was calmer, and I thanked him for everything. He’s a 10 (out of 10), with all his faults and virtues, but what that man has given me is priceless.

What did England teach you?

Well… try to imagine. I was 16 years old, I was just a boy. Now I’m a young man. It might sound weird, but the most important thing I learnt was the English language. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought that one day I could be understood anywhere in the world. Also, I learnt how to overcome difficulties.

When you knew you were already a Barca player, what did you do?

I called my sister. I had promised her I would.

In Monaco, your grandmother told Barca TV that she had never seen you so happy. Not even when she took you her homemade soup to London?

Just imagine that! I’m so happy that I try to disguise it sometimes. I try to look serious, you know? Things can change pretty fast; today you’re the happiest man in the world, but in a month you might be going through a bad patch.

Did you reach an agreement with Barca two years ago?

No, I only reached an agreement with Barca after Arsenal and Barcelona reached a deal. But it wasn’t very hard. Before the deal was sealed between the clubs, there had been some talks, but nothing serious.

Is this what you expected?

No; so far, it has surpassed all my expectations. I don’t know what will happen hereafter, but the way things are going makes me motivated to continue working. I still have a lot to do in this team. I might have won two titles and scored some goals, but that doesn’t make me think that my work is done. People here expect you to start well, continue well and end well. Barcelona are one of the few teams that demand the best of you in each match, just like Real Madrid, Manchester United… I’m not satisfied. I want and I must give more to Barcelona.

 Tito Vilanova claims that Barca have not signed Cesc, the player who left at 16, but Fabregas, the captain of Arsenal FC.

Tito was my last coach at Barca and we won everything. I had a very good relationship with him and I look forward to share the same locker room with him again, as well as with Leo (Messi) and Gerard (Piqué). He’s right. Eight years have passed very quickly. I think of it now and it seems incredible. But it is obvious that I’m no longer the same player who left, the one who played in the cadet team.

Back then, did you already know Messi would be so great?

He was the best, but you can never know for sure. If anyone was going to reach the first team, it was him, that much was clear. He was the most talented. Technically, he had always been the best. Physically, he’s now very strong, but he used to be the smallest and that was even more apparent since we played against older players. He’s very smart. He takes advantage of every little thing. Sometimes it might look as if he has no character, but on the inside he’s a born winner who’s aware of everything around him.

What have you learnt football wise during your six years in the Premier League?

Lessons. The competitive spirit. Their football is faster and more direct than in La Liga, which is more tactical and disciplined, with more emphasis on a slow build-up. In England, people don’t think so much about the scoreline. You attack even when it’s not needed. The crowd doesn’t like you to hold back in any situation. Here in Spain, you need more positional awareness and control in order to break through. And the referees are more lenient, they allow more. Here, I saw a yellow card for not retreating from the wall, in England the ref would just have told me: “Come on Cesc, move.”.

Did they pronounce Cesc correctly?

They pronounce it better in England than they do here.

That’s why your shirt had Fabregas on it?

No, I used Fabregas in England because it was compulsory to use your surname in the back of the jersey, and I have decided to stay with Fabregas (instead of Cesc) at Barcelona.

Is it an advantage to have come through La Masia and learnt the Barcelona way of football?

No. I feel that I still have a lot to learn. This team is very well oiled and there are still a lot of things I need to learn, a lot of things I need to pick up. Especially in defense. I’d never seen a team so focused in the transition from attack to defense. Playing against Barca is very difficult, but playing at Barca isn’t easy either. That’s my challenge. I sincerely believe that at this point I’m still a bit of a liability on the pitch, but they’re so good that they cover for my mistakes and make it all look fine. I try to read their passes and take advantage of them in attack. I need to adapt to the team. Defensively, I still have a lot to learn.

What’s the first thing you’ve learnt at Barca?

That the hardest thing is to play it simple. You look at Messi, Iniesta, Xavi… It’s very hard to play in such a simple way. And it’s also very hard to pressure teams the way this team does.

The coaching staff is convinced that you can bring a lot to the team, even defensively. 

Me too. I’m lucky in a way: for four or five years, I was one of the players who covered most ground per match in the Champions League. That means I’ve become a very dynamic player, and I take advantage of that. But I feel that I still have a lot to learn. I’m 24 years old and people often talk about me as if I were 30.

Is Xavi right when he claims that the best thing about this Barca team is the training sessions?

Yes. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life. You can only hear the ball. Tac, tac, tac… The pressure of four players at the same time. I had never such a high level of training. The everyday training sessions are a lot better than the matches; I’d never seen anything like it.

Do people exaggerate when they say the atmosphere is exceptional?

I’ll just tell you that if we have to arrive at 10am, we’ll be there at 9:30am. Not just one player, but everybody. Besides, Piqué is around and he’s a great target for jokes, he can definitely take a joke very well. He surely brings a lot of life to the locker room.

What did Pep Guardiola tell you?

Nothing, nothing much. He only told me to work hard to gain my place in the squad.

Are you ready to accept whatever playing time you get and sit on the bench?

It’s obvious that only players like Xavi, Iniesta or Messi could complain about lack of minutes. And if they don’t complain… I have great respect for them, so I’ll just play when the coach decides it’s my turn.

After your first confrontation with Madrid…

Uff! It’s not time to talk about Madrid. Now it’s time to think of San Sebastian, Milan, Pamplona. I’m looking forward to visit the different stadiums in La Liga. I’ve only played at Camp Nou twice, and I only know the Bernabeu, El Madrigal, Mestalla… I don’t know… I‘m particularly looking forward to playing at San Mamés. I’ve always been told it has a very special atmosphere.

What did you want to be when you were little?

What I am now. My only dream has always been to play at Barcelona.