Cesc Fàbregas
Encyclopedia
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler (ˈsɛsk ˈfaβɾəɣəs; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga
club FC Barcelona
.
Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal
in September 2003 at the age of 16. Following injuries to key midfielders in the 2004–05 season
, he went on to establish himself as Arsenal's starting central midfielder, playmaker
, and captain. He broke several of the club's records in the process, earning a reputation as one of the best young players for his position. In 2011, he returned to Barcelona for an initial fee of £29m (€34m) with a further £4m (€5m) in variables.
In international football, the Spaniard's national career began when he represented the Under-17 side at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
in Finland. As a result of his club performances, he was called up to the senior squad in 2006. He has played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, UEFA Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup
, helping Spain to become eventual winners in the two most recent tournaments.
, Barcelona, Catalonia
to Francesc Fàbregas, Sr., who runs a property company, and Núria Soler, the owner of a pastry company. Fàbregas has supported FC Barcelona
since childhood and went to his first match when he was nine months old with his grandfather. He began his club football career with CE Mataró
, before being signed for Barcelona's La Masia
youth academy aged 10 in 1997. His first coach, Señor Blai, reportedly did not select Fabregas for matches against Barcelona in an attempt to hide him from their scouts. This tactic, however, was unable to withstand Barcelona for long, and Mataró gave in and allowed Fàbregas to train with Barcelona one day per week. Eventually Fàbregas joined Barcelona's academy full time. His initial training was as a defensive midfielder playing alongside notable names such as Gerard Piqué
and Lionel Messi
. Although he was a prolific scorer, sometimes scoring even more than 30 goals in a season for the club's youth teams, he did not manage to play a first team
game at the Camp Nou
. During his time at Barcelona's youth academy, Fàbregas idolised Barcelona's then-captain and number four Josep Guardiola
, who would later give Fàbregas his shirt as consolation when Fàbregas' parents divorced.
in their Academy
, signing for the London club on 11 September 2003. Initially, he found life difficult in England's capital but soon struck a friendship with Spanish-speaking team-mate Philippe Senderos
, who helped him settle down. As a 16-year-old, Fàbregas did not contemplate breaking into the first team immediately but looked up to senior players like Patrick Vieira
and Gilberto Silva
, while concentrating on training and learning the English language. He nevertheless made his debut for Arsenal not long after, on 23 October 2003, in a League Cup
tie at home to Rotherham United
. In doing so he became Arsenal's youngest ever first team player, aged 16 years and 177 days. He then became the youngest goalscorer in Arsenal's history in a later round of the League Cup, scoring in a 5–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers
. Although Arsenal went on to win the league unbeaten
in the 2003–04 season
, Fàbregas was not awarded a winner's medal because he did not play a single league game.
It was not until the start of the 2004–05 season
that the Spaniard started making first team appearances in matches outside the League Cup. His first match of the season was against Manchester United
in the FA Community Shield
. Following an injury to Vieira, Fàbregas stepped in and made four consecutive Premier League starts. He was praised for his performances in those games, even claiming a goal against Blackburn Rovers
in a 3–0 victory, and becoming Arsenal's youngest ever goalscorer in a league game. With further injuries to Edu and Gilberto Silva, he received more playing time in all competitions. He signed his first professional
contract with Arsenal in September 2004, which committed his long-term future to the club. In the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, he became the second-youngest goalscorer in the competition's history after scoring the third goal against Rosenborg in a 5–1 win. He concluded his season by winning his first honours with Arsenal when he was in the starting eleven that defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup Final.
, Fàbregas was given the Frenchman's number 4 shirt and featured regularly in the Arsenal central midfield alongside Gilberto Silva. He made 49 appearances in all competitions during the 2005–06 season
. Despite his young age, his performances came under greater scrutiny due to his increased involvement in the first team. Further, as Fàbregas possessed a smaller frame and played with less aggression than Vieira, there were initially doubts over his ability to fill in the void left by the Frenchman. Nevertheless, Fàbregas asserted his own style of play and impressed pundits in the Champions League against Real Madrid
and Juventus. In the latter, he scored Arsenal's first goal and set up Thierry Henry
for the second, at the same time proving that he could compete against tough, hard-tackling midfielders like Vieira. He then played in the Final
against his former club Barcelona, but Arsenal were defeated 2–1, completing a trophyless 2005–06 campaign for Arsenal.
Fàbregas' increase in exposure drew transfer speculation during the summer; Real Madrid expressed a desire to sign the Spaniard despite his long-term contract with Arsenal, but Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
stated that Arsenal would not listen to any offers. In September 2006, with six years left on his deal, Arsenal offered a new five-year deal (with an option to extend by a further three years) to the midfielder, which he signed on 19 October 2006. While the contract was unusually long, Fàbregas cited Arsenal's playing style and Wenger as reasons for his long-term commitment to the club.
The 2006–07 season
was a learning experience for the young Arsenal squad and Fàbregas. The club again failed to secure any major honours and were defeated by city rivals Chelsea
in the League Cup Final. However, Fàbregas emerged as one of the key creative players for the team, playing in every single league game. He kickstarted Arsenal's 2006–07 UEFA Champions League
campaign when he scored a brace in a 3–0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in a qualifier match. In the Premier League, he notched up 13 assists, which was the second-highest total in the league. He ended the season with several individual honours, including the Golden Boy award, presented by the Italian paper TuttoSport, based on a poll of leading writers across Europe. He was also named in the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year
, and named FA Premier League Player of the Month for January 2007. Additionally, he was nominated for both PFA Players' Player of the Year
and PFA Young Player of the Year
, although both awards went to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo
. In June 2007, he was named Arsenal's Player of the Season, taking in 60% of the votes.
The 2007–08 season
began with much uncertainty for Arsenal. First, David Dein
, the club's vice-chairman, left amidst allegations of internal strife, followed by the departure of the club's all-time top goalscorer and captain, Thierry Henry, who signed for Barcelona. There was also speculation over Wenger's future with the club. Fàbregas knew that he would become the most important player for Arsenal, but stated he was ready for the challenge. He started the season well, chalking up goals and assists, and website soccernet attributed the early success of Arsenal to the young Spaniard. His start to the season also earned him the O2
Player of the Month award from Arsenal fans for August, September and October, as well as the Premier League Player of the Month for September. With Arsenal leading the league table until March, Fàbregas was equally instrumental in the club's 2007–08 Champions League campaign; in the return leg against Milan
, the midfielder scored late in the game to send Arsenal into the quarter-finals. Though Arsenal ended the season trophyless, Fàbregas amassed several personal awards. On 11 April 2008, Fàbregas was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards for the second year running; he was later crowned the winner of the latter, and named in the PFA Team of the Year
. He was also named the 2007–08 Arsenal.com Player of the Season.
as club captain. However, just as Arsenal were getting back into the title race after a poor start to the season, the Spaniard was ruled out for four months after sustaining a knee injury against Liverpool. The Gunners eventually finished the season without any silverware, coming in fourth in the league and being knocked out at the semi-finals of the 2008–09 Champions League campaign
. In tandem with Arsenal's policy to groom its young players, the team that Fàbregas led into the new season consisted mostly of the same young nucleus as before, with the likes of Nicklas Bendtner
, Gaël Clichy
, Abou Diaby
, Denílson
, Samir Nasri
, Alexandre Song
, and Theo Walcott
in tow.
In the opening league game of 2009–10 season, Fàbregas scored a brace and managed two assists in Arsenal's 6–1 away win against Everton
. Arsenal went on to secure qualification for the 2009–10 Champions League campaign
by beating Celtic
over two legs, but their early momentum to the season was disrupted by consecutive league game losses to Manchester United
and Manchester City
. The team bounced back strongly after this setback, and with Fàbregas being prolific in scoring and setting up his teammates, it went unbeaten in the next 13 games. Despite suffering four league losses even before mid-season approached, Arsenal managed to lead the league standings after 22 games. On 31 March 2010, in the Champions League first leg of the quarter-final against Barcelona, Fàbregas suffered a leg fracture before scoring the equalising goal in the game which ended 2–2. Arsenal, who were four points behind league leaders Manchester United, were deprived of their captain for the remaining six league games of the season; they were subsequently eliminated by Barcelona in the Champions League, and fell out of the league title race. Fàbregas was later named to the PFA Team of the Year.
Before the start of the 2010–11 season, there was once again intense media speculation about the Spaniard's future, and in June 2010, a €35 million bid from Barcelona was rejected. The 2010–11 season turned out to be an extremely competitive one in the Premier League; even though Arsenal had lost five games before mid-season, they were jostling for pole position with Manchester United and Manchester City. Going into late February, Arsenal were still in contention for the quadruple, but within a span of two weeks they lost in the League Cup final
, were eliminated by Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the Champions League
, and defeated in the FA Cup quarter-final. Although Fàbregas did not play in the League Cup Final, it was his misplaced backheel pass during the second leg of the Champions League game against Barcelona that allowed them to level the aggregate score. Arsenal remained in contention for the league title until a series of draws in the final third of the season caused them to fall too far behind league leaders Manchester United; they ended the season fourth. The following season was once again marked by uncertainty. Barcelona made several bids for Fàbregas, while Nasri, Arsenal's star performer the previous campaign, was courted by Manchester City.
, coming on as a substitute against Real Madrid
. Barcelona won the tie 3–2 and 5–4 on aggregate. He scored his first goal in a 2–0 win against FC Porto as Barcelona won the 2011 UEFA Super Cup
, and his first league goal on his league debut against Villarreal CF
.
, Fàbregas' international career began at youth level. At the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
held in Finland, he finished as top scorer of the tournament despite playing in midfield, and was voted Player of the Tournament. Spain finished runners-up in the tournament to Brazil. Fàbregas was next involved in the 2004 UEFA U-17 European Championship
, where Spain also finished runners-up. He was named the Golden Player of the tournament.
named the teenager in the team for a friendly against Ivory Coast
. In that game, Fàbregas became the youngest player capped
for Spain in 70 years, beating Sergio Ramos
' record. He received favourable reviews for his début, and was involved in the build-up to Spain's first goal in the 3–2 victory over the Ivorians.
squad. During the tournament, he came on as a second-half substitute in Spain's first two group matches, contributing an assist to striker Fernando Torres
in their 3–1 victory against Tunisia
. He then started alongside Spain's reserve players (including then-Arsenal teammate José Antonio Reyes
) in Spain's third group match against Saudi Arabia
. He earned a starting role in Spain's first knockout-stage match against France
, in place of Marcos Senna
, but Spain lost 3–1. Fàbregas also became the youngest player in Spanish football history to participate in a World Cup
when he came on as a substitute for Luis García
after 77 minutes in the 4–0 victory against Ukraine
on 13 June 2006; he was then 19 years and 41 days old. He was later nominated for the Gillette Young Player of the World Cup, but Germany
's Lukas Podolski
won the award.
In UEFA Euro 2008, Fàbregas was issued with squad number
10, rather than 18 which he had previously held. Despite featuring mostly as a substitute, the midfielder made a considerable impact in Spain's campaign. He scored his first international goal in that competition in Spain's 4–1 win over Russia
and also had an assist in that game. Spain won all three of their group games and met Italy
in the quarter-finals. In that match, Fàbregas scored the winning penalty in the penalty shoot-out after the teams remained deadlocked 0–0 after extra time. In the semi-finals, Spain defeated Russia 3–0 with Fàbregas providing two assists. The midfielder made the starting eleven in the Final
against Germany where Spain prevailed 1–0; this was Spain's first major title since 1964. For his efforts, Fàbregas was named in the Team of the Tournament, a 23-man squad selected by the UEFA Technical Team.
's squad. In June, he was named in the team for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
. He scored his second international goal in a 5–0 win against New Zealand in the competition's group stage. In the semi-finals against the United States
(which Fàbregas started), Spain suffered a shock 2–0 loss, and its 15-game winning streak came to an end.
. With del Bosque preferring a starting midfield of Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso
, Xavi
and Andrés Iniesta
, Fàbregas did not start in any of Spain's games in the competition. He featured as a substitute in four of their seven matches, in which Spain lost their opening game before winning the next six en route to the final
. In the Final itself, Fàbregas set up the extra-time winner for Iniesta to win Spain the World Cup for the first time in their history.
Originally brought to Arsenal as a youth to slowly develop via the League Cup, Fàbregas was unexpectedly deployed as Arsenal's starting central midfielder following injuries to fellow midfielders Patrick Vieira
, Gilberto Silva
and Edu during the 2004–05 season. While Vieira served as his role model and mentor, he styled his game after his childhood hero and compatriot Josep Guardiola
. Because he was of a different mould from his Arsenal predecessors who played in the same position, this led to criticisms of his lightweight frame and less aggressive style of play, with former teammate Ashley Cole
criticising the Spaniard as "an unproven featherweight" in his autobiography.
However, it did not take long for Fàbregas to become one of the most coveted and celebrated young talents in the game. Functioning mostly as a playmaker
and renowned for his passing range, he was described as the kernel of Arsenal's first team, bringing vision, creativity, and an innate understanding of timing and space to Arsenal's intricate passing game, displaying maturity that belied his age. He was the main creative force when he was at Arsenal, as exemplified by his 16 assists in all competitions in the 2006–07 season. Between 2006–07 and 2010–11, Fàbregas created the most chances in the top-division leagues of England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
At Arsenal, Fàbregas also often assumed responsibility for set pieces
, taking corners
, free kicks
and penalties
. By his own admission, scoring was a weaker part of his game in his first few seasons at Arsenal; wasteful finishing also being symptomatic of the larger problem surrounding Arsenal in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. This changed initially in the 2007–08 season when he scored 11 goals in his first 16 games, and Arsenal manager Wenger claimed that the Spaniard's previous inability to score was down to a mental state, and even compared the Spaniard to Michel Platini
, a French midfielder renowned for scoring. There were also concerns raised over the large number of games Fàbregas was playing for club and country at such a young age, but while he initially avoided long spells on the sidelines, he played significantly less games due to injury in his last three seasons with Arsenal.
|-
|2006||14||0
|-
|2007||8||0
|-
|2008||15||1
|-
|2009||10||4
|-
|2010||11||1
|-
|2011||3||2
|-
!Total||61||8
|}
Runner-up
Runner-up
and was shown on Sky Sports
. The show featured Fàbregas in several sketches with Arsenal teammates like Philippe Senderos
and Nicklas Bendtner
, as well as coach Arsène Wenger
, Fàbregas' parents and Little Britain
star Matt Lucas
.
Fàbregas is also an Honorary Patron of the campaign against Racism in football and society; Show Racism the Red Card
.
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
club FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
.
Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in September 2003 at the age of 16. Following injuries to key midfielders in the 2004–05 season
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
, he went on to establish himself as Arsenal's starting central midfielder, playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
, and captain. He broke several of the club's records in the process, earning a reputation as one of the best young players for his position. In 2011, he returned to Barcelona for an initial fee of £29m (€34m) with a further £4m (€5m) in variables.
In international football, the Spaniard's national career began when he represented the Under-17 side at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
in Finland. As a result of his club performances, he was called up to the senior squad in 2006. He has played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, UEFA Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, helping Spain to become eventual winners in the two most recent tournaments.
Early years
Fàbregas was born in Arenys de MarArenys de Mar
Arenys de Mar , and de mar for by the sea as opposed to Arenys de Munt town inland) is one of the main municipalities of the comarca of Maresme, Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the coast between Sant Vicenç de Montalt and Canet de Mar...
, Barcelona, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
to Francesc Fàbregas, Sr., who runs a property company, and Núria Soler, the owner of a pastry company. Fàbregas has supported FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
since childhood and went to his first match when he was nine months old with his grandfather. He began his club football career with CE Mataró
CE Mataró
Club Esportiu Mataró is a Spanish football team based in Mataró, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded in 1939, it currently plays in 1ª Territorial, holding home games at Municipal Carles Padrós, which has a capacity of 4,500....
, before being signed for Barcelona's La Masia
La Masia
La Masia de Can Planes, usually shortened to La Masia, , is the name given to FC Barcelona's training facilities located near the Camp Nou in the Les Corts district of Barcelona, and is often used to generically describe the youth academy of Barcelona....
youth academy aged 10 in 1997. His first coach, Señor Blai, reportedly did not select Fabregas for matches against Barcelona in an attempt to hide him from their scouts. This tactic, however, was unable to withstand Barcelona for long, and Mataró gave in and allowed Fàbregas to train with Barcelona one day per week. Eventually Fàbregas joined Barcelona's academy full time. His initial training was as a defensive midfielder playing alongside notable names such as Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué i Bernabeu is a Spanish footballer, currently playing as a central defender for FC Barcelona.A product of Barça's cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United in 2004, where he remained for four years, before returning to Barça under Josep Guardiola's leadership, helping...
and Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
. Although he was a prolific scorer, sometimes scoring even more than 30 goals in a season for the club's youth teams, he did not manage to play a first team
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
game at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
. During his time at Barcelona's youth academy, Fàbregas idolised Barcelona's then-captain and number four Josep Guardiola
Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
, who would later give Fàbregas his shirt as consolation when Fàbregas' parents divorced.
Adapting to England
Sensing that he would have limited opportunities at Barcelona, he joined ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in their Academy
Arsenal F.C. Academy
Arsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England...
, signing for the London club on 11 September 2003. Initially, he found life difficult in England's capital but soon struck a friendship with Spanish-speaking team-mate Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C...
, who helped him settle down. As a 16-year-old, Fàbregas did not contemplate breaking into the first team immediately but looked up to senior players like Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
and Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, commonly known as Gilberto Silva, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Grêmio.Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro, where good...
, while concentrating on training and learning the English language. He nevertheless made his debut for Arsenal not long after, on 23 October 2003, in a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
tie at home to Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
. In doing so he became Arsenal's youngest ever first team player, aged 16 years and 177 days. He then became the youngest goalscorer in Arsenal's history in a later round of the League Cup, scoring in a 5–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. Although Arsenal went on to win the league unbeaten
The Invincibles (football)
In English football, "The Invincibles" has been used to refer to either the Preston North End team of the 1880s, or the Arsenal team of the 2003–04 season...
in the 2003–04 season
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
, Fàbregas was not awarded a winner's medal because he did not play a single league game.
It was not until the start of the 2004–05 season
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
that the Spaniard started making first team appearances in matches outside the League Cup. His first match of the season was against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the FA Community Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
. Following an injury to Vieira, Fàbregas stepped in and made four consecutive Premier League starts. He was praised for his performances in those games, even claiming a goal against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in a 3–0 victory, and becoming Arsenal's youngest ever goalscorer in a league game. With further injuries to Edu and Gilberto Silva, he received more playing time in all competitions. He signed his first professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
contract with Arsenal in September 2004, which committed his long-term future to the club. In the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, he became the second-youngest goalscorer in the competition's history after scoring the third goal against Rosenborg in a 5–1 win. He concluded his season by winning his first honours with Arsenal when he was in the starting eleven that defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup Final.
Making the starting eleven
After the departure of Vieira to JuventusJuventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, Fàbregas was given the Frenchman's number 4 shirt and featured regularly in the Arsenal central midfield alongside Gilberto Silva. He made 49 appearances in all competitions during the 2005–06 season
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
. Despite his young age, his performances came under greater scrutiny due to his increased involvement in the first team. Further, as Fàbregas possessed a smaller frame and played with less aggression than Vieira, there were initially doubts over his ability to fill in the void left by the Frenchman. Nevertheless, Fàbregas asserted his own style of play and impressed pundits in the Champions League against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Juventus. In the latter, he scored Arsenal's first goal and set up Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
for the second, at the same time proving that he could compete against tough, hard-tackling midfielders like Vieira. He then played in the Final
2006 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
against his former club Barcelona, but Arsenal were defeated 2–1, completing a trophyless 2005–06 campaign for Arsenal.
Fàbregas' increase in exposure drew transfer speculation during the summer; Real Madrid expressed a desire to sign the Spaniard despite his long-term contract with Arsenal, but Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
stated that Arsenal would not listen to any offers. In September 2006, with six years left on his deal, Arsenal offered a new five-year deal (with an option to extend by a further three years) to the midfielder, which he signed on 19 October 2006. While the contract was unusually long, Fàbregas cited Arsenal's playing style and Wenger as reasons for his long-term commitment to the club.
The 2006–07 season
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
was a learning experience for the young Arsenal squad and Fàbregas. The club again failed to secure any major honours and were defeated by city rivals Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the League Cup Final. However, Fàbregas emerged as one of the key creative players for the team, playing in every single league game. He kickstarted Arsenal's 2006–07 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
campaign when he scored a brace in a 3–0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in a qualifier match. In the Premier League, he notched up 13 assists, which was the second-highest total in the league. He ended the season with several individual honours, including the Golden Boy award, presented by the Italian paper TuttoSport, based on a poll of leading writers across Europe. He was also named in the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year
UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
, and named FA Premier League Player of the Month for January 2007. Additionally, he was nominated for both PFA Players' Player of the Year
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
and PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
, although both awards went to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
. In June 2007, he was named Arsenal's Player of the Season, taking in 60% of the votes.
The 2007–08 season
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
began with much uncertainty for Arsenal. First, David Dein
David Dein
David Barry Dein is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club and former vice-chairman of the Football Association. He was also the President of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007 and has sat on various committees within FIFA and UEFA including...
, the club's vice-chairman, left amidst allegations of internal strife, followed by the departure of the club's all-time top goalscorer and captain, Thierry Henry, who signed for Barcelona. There was also speculation over Wenger's future with the club. Fàbregas knew that he would become the most important player for Arsenal, but stated he was ready for the challenge. He started the season well, chalking up goals and assists, and website soccernet attributed the early success of Arsenal to the young Spaniard. His start to the season also earned him the O2
O2
O2, o2, O2, or O2 may refer to:- Companies :* O2 Global Network, an international network for sustainable design* O2TV, a Russian independent socially-political TV channel...
Player of the Month award from Arsenal fans for August, September and October, as well as the Premier League Player of the Month for September. With Arsenal leading the league table until March, Fàbregas was equally instrumental in the club's 2007–08 Champions League campaign; in the return leg against Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, the midfielder scored late in the game to send Arsenal into the quarter-finals. Though Arsenal ended the season trophyless, Fàbregas amassed several personal awards. On 11 April 2008, Fàbregas was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards for the second year running; he was later crowned the winner of the latter, and named in the PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
. He was also named the 2007–08 Arsenal.com Player of the Season.
Captaincy
On 24 November 2008, 14 league games into the 2008–09 season, Fàbregas was named as the successor to William GallasWilliam Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
as club captain. However, just as Arsenal were getting back into the title race after a poor start to the season, the Spaniard was ruled out for four months after sustaining a knee injury against Liverpool. The Gunners eventually finished the season without any silverware, coming in fourth in the league and being knocked out at the semi-finals of the 2008–09 Champions League campaign
UEFA Champions League 2008–09
The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. It was the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in...
. In tandem with Arsenal's policy to groom its young players, the team that Fàbregas led into the new season consisted mostly of the same young nucleus as before, with the likes of Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...
, Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy is a French footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester City and the France national football team. Though initially right-foot dominant, he primarily plays as a left back that is also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wingback. Clichy is described as a player who...
, Abou Diaby
Abou Diaby
Vassiriki Abou Diaby , commonly known as Abou Diaby, is a French footballer who plays for English club Arsenal in the Premier League and the France national team...
, Denílson
Denílson Pereira Neves
Denílson Pereira Neves is a Brazilian footballer who plays for São Paulo as a midfielder, on loan from Arsenal. He is the former captain of the Brazil national under-17 team.-Early life:...
, Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical...
, Alexandre Song
Alexandre Song
Alexandre "Alex" Dimitri Song Billong , more commonly known as Alex Song, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays for Premier League side Arsenal and the Cameroon national team as a midfielder. He is the cousin of The Panthers central defender Rigobert Song...
, and Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott
Theo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...
in tow.
In the opening league game of 2009–10 season, Fàbregas scored a brace and managed two assists in Arsenal's 6–1 away win against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. Arsenal went on to secure qualification for the 2009–10 Champions League campaign
UEFA Champions League 2009–10
The 2009–10 UEFA Champions League was the 55th season of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 18th under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played on 22 May 2010, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home ground of Real Madrid, in Madrid, Spain. The final was won by...
by beating Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
over two legs, but their early momentum to the season was disrupted by consecutive league game losses to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. The team bounced back strongly after this setback, and with Fàbregas being prolific in scoring and setting up his teammates, it went unbeaten in the next 13 games. Despite suffering four league losses even before mid-season approached, Arsenal managed to lead the league standings after 22 games. On 31 March 2010, in the Champions League first leg of the quarter-final against Barcelona, Fàbregas suffered a leg fracture before scoring the equalising goal in the game which ended 2–2. Arsenal, who were four points behind league leaders Manchester United, were deprived of their captain for the remaining six league games of the season; they were subsequently eliminated by Barcelona in the Champions League, and fell out of the league title race. Fàbregas was later named to the PFA Team of the Year.
Before the start of the 2010–11 season, there was once again intense media speculation about the Spaniard's future, and in June 2010, a €35 million bid from Barcelona was rejected. The 2010–11 season turned out to be an extremely competitive one in the Premier League; even though Arsenal had lost five games before mid-season, they were jostling for pole position with Manchester United and Manchester City. Going into late February, Arsenal were still in contention for the quadruple, but within a span of two weeks they lost in the League Cup final
2011 Football League Cup Final
The 2011 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Football League Cup, the 51st season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and the Football League. The match was contested by Arsenal and Birmingham City, at Wembley Stadium in...
, were eliminated by Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2010–11
The 2010–11 UEFA Champions League was the 56th season of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 19th under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was held at Wembley Stadium in London on 28 May 2011, where Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3–1. Internazionale were the...
, and defeated in the FA Cup quarter-final. Although Fàbregas did not play in the League Cup Final, it was his misplaced backheel pass during the second leg of the Champions League game against Barcelona that allowed them to level the aggregate score. Arsenal remained in contention for the league title until a series of draws in the final third of the season caused them to fall too far behind league leaders Manchester United; they ended the season fourth. The following season was once again marked by uncertainty. Barcelona made several bids for Fàbregas, while Nasri, Arsenal's star performer the previous campaign, was courted by Manchester City.
Barcelona
On 15 August 2011, Barcelona signed Fàbregas for an initial fee of £29 million (€34 million) with a further £4 million (€5 million) in variables, ending one of the most protracted transfer sagas in recent times. Fàbregas made his debut in the second leg of the Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de España
The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
, coming on as a substitute against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. Barcelona won the tie 3–2 and 5–4 on aggregate. He scored his first goal in a 2–0 win against FC Porto as Barcelona won the 2011 UEFA Super Cup
2011 UEFA Super Cup
-External links:*, UEFA.com...
, and his first league goal on his league debut against Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
.
Youth team
Although he features regularly for the Spain national football teamSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, Fàbregas' international career began at youth level. At the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
held in Finland, he finished as top scorer of the tournament despite playing in midfield, and was voted Player of the Tournament. Spain finished runners-up in the tournament to Brazil. Fàbregas was next involved in the 2004 UEFA U-17 European Championship
UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
The UEFA U-17 Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. From 1982 to 2001 it was an Under-16 event.This meeting serves as a preliminary competition for the FIFA U-17 World Cup every other year....
, where Spain also finished runners-up. He was named the Golden Player of the tournament.
Senior team
After emerging as one of Arsenal's key players in only his second season at the club, it did not take long for Fàbregas to be called up to the senior squad. Noting his impressive performances in Arsenal's 2006 Champions League campaign, Spain coach Luis AragonésLuis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
named the teenager in the team for a friendly against Ivory Coast
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
. In that game, Fàbregas became the youngest player capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Spain in 70 years, beating Sergio Ramos
Sérgio Ramos
Sérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...
' record. He received favourable reviews for his début, and was involved in the build-up to Spain's first goal in the 3–2 victory over the Ivorians.
2006 World Cup
On 15 May 2006, Fàbregas was selected for the Spanish 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad. During the tournament, he came on as a second-half substitute in Spain's first two group matches, contributing an assist to striker Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
in their 3–1 victory against Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
. He then started alongside Spain's reserve players (including then-Arsenal teammate José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes...
) in Spain's third group match against Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
. He earned a starting role in Spain's first knockout-stage match against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, in place of Marcos Senna
Marcos Senna
Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:...
, but Spain lost 3–1. Fàbregas also became the youngest player in Spanish football history to participate in a World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
when he came on as a substitute for Luis García
Luis Javier García Sanz
Luis Javier García Sanz , known as Luis García, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Puebla F.C. in Mexico, mainly as a left winger....
after 77 minutes in the 4–0 victory against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
on 13 June 2006; he was then 19 years and 41 days old. He was later nominated for the Gillette Young Player of the World Cup, but Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
's Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Josef Podolski ; born Łukasz Podolski ) on 4 June 1985 in Gliwice, Poland) is a German footballer who plays as a striker/winger for 1. FC Köln and for the German national team. He joined 1. FC Köln in 1995 where he broke into the first team in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the club before...
won the award.
UEFA Euro 2008
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
10, rather than 18 which he had previously held. Despite featuring mostly as a substitute, the midfielder made a considerable impact in Spain's campaign. He scored his first international goal in that competition in Spain's 4–1 win over Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and also had an assist in that game. Spain won all three of their group games and met Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in the quarter-finals. In that match, Fàbregas scored the winning penalty in the penalty shoot-out after the teams remained deadlocked 0–0 after extra time. In the semi-finals, Spain defeated Russia 3–0 with Fàbregas providing two assists. The midfielder made the starting eleven in the Final
UEFA Euro 2008 Final
The UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
against Germany where Spain prevailed 1–0; this was Spain's first major title since 1964. For his efforts, Fàbregas was named in the Team of the Tournament, a 23-man squad selected by the UEFA Technical Team.
Confederations Cup 2009
After missing out for several months due to his injury, Fàbregas regained his place as a regular in Vicente del BosqueVicente Del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
's squad. In June, he was named in the team for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
. He scored his second international goal in a 5–0 win against New Zealand in the competition's group stage. In the semi-finals against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
(which Fàbregas started), Spain suffered a shock 2–0 loss, and its 15-game winning streak came to an end.
2010 World Cup
Fàbregas was selected as a part of del Bosque's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. With del Bosque preferring a starting midfield of Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
, Xavi
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
and Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
, Fàbregas did not start in any of Spain's games in the competition. He featured as a substitute in four of their seven matches, in which Spain lost their opening game before winning the next six en route to the final
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
. In the Final itself, Fàbregas set up the extra-time winner for Iniesta to win Spain the World Cup for the first time in their history.
International goals
- Scores and results list. Spain's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 10 June 2008 Tivoli Neu Tivoli Neu' is a multi-purpose stadium in Innsbruck, Austria. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FC Wacker Innsbruck. The stadium capacity was 17,400 when it was built in 2000...
, InnsbruckInnsbruck- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
4–1 4–1 UEFA Euro 2008 UEFA Euro 2008 Group DGroup D of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first round of matches were played on 10 June, with the final round scheduled for 18 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Austria, in Innsbruck and Salzburg...2. 14 June 2009 Royal Bafokeng Stadium Royal Bafokeng StadiumThe Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars...
, Rustenburg, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
4–0 5–0 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...3. 9 September 2009 Estadio Romano Estadio RomanoEstadio Romano is a multi-use stadium in Mérida, Spain. It is currently used for football matches and is the home ground of Mérida UD. The stadium holds 14,600 people and opened in 1954.-External links:* *...
, MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
1–0 3–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualificationThe qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...4. 10 October 2009 Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
1–0 2–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 5. 18 November 2009 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna ViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria1–1 5–1 Friendly 6. 8 June 2010 Nueva Condomina, Murcia Murcia-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, Spain4–0 6–0 Friendly 7. 2 September 2011 AFG Arena AFG ArenaThe AFG Arena is a multi-use stadium in St. Gallen, Switzerland, completed in 2008. It is used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of FC St. Gallen of the Swiss Challenge League. It replaces the Espenmoos stadium....
, St Gallen, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
2–2 3–2 Friendly 8. 2 September 2011 AFG Arena, St Gallen, Switzerland 3–2 3–2 Friendly
Style of play
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
, Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, commonly known as Gilberto Silva, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Grêmio.Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro, where good...
and Edu during the 2004–05 season. While Vieira served as his role model and mentor, he styled his game after his childhood hero and compatriot Josep Guardiola
Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
. Because he was of a different mould from his Arsenal predecessors who played in the same position, this led to criticisms of his lightweight frame and less aggressive style of play, with former teammate Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
criticising the Spaniard as "an unproven featherweight" in his autobiography.
However, it did not take long for Fàbregas to become one of the most coveted and celebrated young talents in the game. Functioning mostly as a playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
and renowned for his passing range, he was described as the kernel of Arsenal's first team, bringing vision, creativity, and an innate understanding of timing and space to Arsenal's intricate passing game, displaying maturity that belied his age. He was the main creative force when he was at Arsenal, as exemplified by his 16 assists in all competitions in the 2006–07 season. Between 2006–07 and 2010–11, Fàbregas created the most chances in the top-division leagues of England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
At Arsenal, Fàbregas also often assumed responsibility for set pieces
Set piece (football)
The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...
, taking corners
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
, free kicks
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
and penalties
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
. By his own admission, scoring was a weaker part of his game in his first few seasons at Arsenal; wasteful finishing also being symptomatic of the larger problem surrounding Arsenal in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. This changed initially in the 2007–08 season when he scored 11 goals in his first 16 games, and Arsenal manager Wenger claimed that the Spaniard's previous inability to score was down to a mental state, and even compared the Spaniard to Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
, a French midfielder renowned for scoring. There were also concerns raised over the large number of games Fàbregas was playing for club and country at such a young age, but while he initially avoided long spells on the sidelines, he played significantly less games due to injury in his last three seasons with Arsenal.
Statistics
Statistics accurate as of 23 November 2011| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
2003–04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | 33 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2005–06 | 35 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 5 | 7 | |
| 2006–07 | 38 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 4 | 16 | |
| 2007–08 | 32 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 45 | 13 | 22 | |
| 2008–09 | 22 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 3 | 15 | |
| 2009–10 | 27 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 19 | 19 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Arsenal F.C. season The 2010–11 season was Arsenal Football Clubs 19th season in the Premier League. Arsenal sought to win their first trophy in six seasons, but this once again proved unsuccessful. The team were within one point of league leaders Manchester United at the end of February, but a run of just one league... |
25 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 9 | 17 | |
| Total | 212 | 35 | 80 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 61 | 17 | 15 | 303 | 57 | 100 | |
| Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
2011–12 2011–12 FC Barcelona season The 2011–12 season is Futbol Club Barcelona's 112th in existence and the club's 81st consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football. Barcelona will be debuting their new and first paid shirt sponsor Qatar Foundation after an agreement was reached in 2010 with the non-profit organization... |
9 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 6 |
| Total | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 6 | |
| Career total | 221 | 40 | 85 | 32 | 5 | 6 | 66 | 19 | 15 | 319 | 64 | 106 | |
|-
|2006||14||0
|-
|2007||8||0
|-
|2008||15||1
|-
|2009||10||4
|-
|2010||11||1
|-
|2011||3||2
|-
!Total||61||8
|}
Career highlights
Arsenal
Winner- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2004–05 - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20042004 FA Community ShieldThe 2004 FA Community Shield was the 82nd FA Community Shield, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
Runner-up
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2005–062006 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17... - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 2006–072007 Football League Cup FinalThe 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game...
, 2010–112011 Football League Cup FinalThe 2011 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Football League Cup, the 51st season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and the Football League. The match was contested by Arsenal and Birmingham City, at Wembley Stadium in... - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20052005 FA Community ShieldThe 2005 FA Community Shield was a football match held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 7 August 2005. It contested by Arsenal, who were FA Cup winners in 2005, and Chelsea, who won the 2004–05 Premier League. Chelsea won the match 2–1....
Barcelona
Winner- Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 20112011 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2011 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match-up that was played on 14 and 17 August 2011. It was contested by Real Madrid, the 2010–11 Copa del Rey winners, and Barcelona, the 2010–11 La Liga winners.... - UEFA Super Cup: 20112011 UEFA Super Cup-External links:*, UEFA.com...
International
Winner- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 20102010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... - UEFA European ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 2008
Runner-up
- FIFA U-17 World Championship: 20032003 FIFA U-17 World ChampionshipThe FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
- UEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-17 Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. From 1982 to 2001 it was an Under-16 event.This meeting serves as a preliminary competition for the FIFA U-17 World Cup every other year....
: 20042004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
Individual
- FIFA U-17 World Championship Golden Shoe: 20032003 FIFA U-17 World ChampionshipThe FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
- FIFA U-17 World Championship Golden Ball: 20032003 FIFA U-17 World ChampionshipThe FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
- UEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-17 Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. From 1982 to 2001 it was an Under-16 event.This meeting serves as a preliminary competition for the FIFA U-17 World Cup every other year....
Golden Player: 20042004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**... - Bravo AwardBravo AwardThe Bravo Award is an annual award which is handed out by the Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo to the most outstanding young European footballer. The first winner of the award was English Jimmy Case. Until 1992 only under-23 players participating in one of the three European club cups were eligible...
: 2006 - UEFA Team of the YearUEFA Team of the YearThe UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
: 2006, 2008 - Premier League Player of the MonthPremier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
: January 2007, September 2007 - ESM Team of the YearEuropean Sports MagazinesEuropean Sports Magazines is a European association of football related publications.-ESM Members:The members of this group elect each month a European "Team of the Month", and annually a European "Team of the Year"....
: 2007–08, 2009–10 - PFA Young Player of the YearPFA Young Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
: 2007–08 - PFA Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
: 2007–08, 2009–10 - UEFA Team of the Tournament: 2008
- Golden BoyTuttosportTuttosport is an Italian sport newspaper published since 30 July 1945.Renato Casalbore founded the newspaper as a bi-weekly. In 1946, it moved to three editions a week, and since 12 March 1951 it has been published daily...
: 2006 - Prince of Asturias AwardsPrince of Asturias AwardsThe Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs....
: 2010
Other projects
Fàbregas starred in his own one-time only television programme, called "The Cesc Fàbregas Show: Nike Live", that aired on 19 May 2008. The programme was sponsored by NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and was shown on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
. The show featured Fàbregas in several sketches with Arsenal teammates like Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C...
and Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...
, as well as coach Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
, Fàbregas' parents and Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
star Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
.
Fàbregas is also an Honorary Patron of the campaign against Racism in football and society; Show Racism the Red Card
Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racism education charity, established in England in January 1996 to harness the high profile nature of footballers as anti-racist role models to educate against racism throughout society in the United Kingdom....
.