Cesc Fàbregas

At 36 years old, Cesc Fàbregas has this physical status:

Club career

Sensing that he will have few opportunities at Barcelona, Fàbregas joined Premier League club Arsenal in their academy, signing for the London club on September 11, 2003. He found life in England's capital difficult at first, but soon formed a friendship with Spanish-speaking teammate Philippe Senderos, who later helped him settle down. Although deciding on training and learning the English language, Fàbregas did not want to join the first team right away, but they did look forward to senior players like Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva. He made his Arsenal debut on October 28th, 2003, in a League Cup tie against Rotherham United at home. He became Arsenal's youngest-ever first team player, aged 16 years and 177 days, by doing so. In a later round of the League Cup, he became Arsenal's youngest goalscorer, scoring in a 5–1 victory over Wolverham Wanderers. Although Arsenal went on to win the league undefeated in the 2003-2004 season, Fàbregas was not given a winner's medal because he did not participate in a single league match.

The Spaniard's first team appearances in non-league matches in 2004–05 were not until the 2004–05 season. In the FA Community Shield's first match of the season, he was against Manchester United. Following an injury to Vieira, Fàbregas stepped up and started his fourth appearance in the Premier League for the fourth time. He was praised for his results in those games, including scoring against Blackburn Rovers in a 3–0 victory and becoming Arsenal's youngest-ever goalscorer in a league match. With further injuries to Edu and Gilberto Silva, he saw more action in all sports. In September 2004, he signed his first professional deal with Arsenal, committing his long-term commitment to the club. Arsenal lost 2–0 to Manchester United in October 2004, snaping their 49-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League. After pizza was thrown at Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson at the end of the game in the players' tunnel by a then-unknown Arsenal player, the match was dubbed the "Battle of the Buffet." Former Arsenal player Martin Keown was arrested in November 2011 by a speculative player named Fàbregas on a phone-in show on BBC Radio 5 Live, confirming that the player was Fàbregas. He became the second-youngest goalscorer in the tournament's history in 2004-05 after scoring the third goal against Rosenborg in a 5–1 victory. He finished his season with Arsenal by winning his first medals when the team defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup Final.

Following Fàbregas' transfer to Juventus last year, the Gunners moved to the Emirates Stadium in summer 2006. He played regularly in the Arsenal central midfield alongside Gilberto Silva. During the 2005–06 season, he made 49 appearances in all sports. Despite his youth, his achievements came under growing scrutiny as a result of his increased involvement in the first team. Also, as Fàbregas had a shorter frame and played with less force than Vieira, there were doubts about his potential to fill the empty space left by the Frenchman. Nonetheless, Fábregas demonstrated his own style of play and enthralled analysts in the Champions League's match against Real Madrid and Juventus. He scored Arsenal's first goal and sched Thierry Henry for the second and commanded Thierry Henry for the second, both proving that he could play against tough, hard-tackling midfielders like Vieira. He then competed in the Final against his former club Barcelona in Barcelona, but Arsenal lost 2–1, ending a trophyless 2005-06 season for Arsenal.

Real Madrid expressed an interest in signing the Spaniard despite his long-term deal with Arsenal, but Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger said that Arsenal would not pay attention to any offers. Arsenal gave the midfielder a new five-year contract (with the option to extend by a further three years) in September 2006. Although his deal was lengthy, Fàbregas cite Arsenal's playing style and Wenger as reasons for his long-term commitment to the club.

The 2006–07 season was an educational journey for the young Arsenal squad and Fàbregas. In the League Cup Final, the club lost out on major titles and was defeated by city rivals Chelsea. However, Fàbregas emerged as one of the team's most versatile players, playing in every single league game. He kicked Arsenal's 2006–07 Champions League campaign when he scored a brace against Dinamo Zagreb in a qualifier match. He had 13 assists in the Premier League, the second-highest total in the league. He closed the season with a number of individual awards, including the Golden Boy award from the Italian newspaper TuttoSport based on a survey of top writers from around 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. In addition, he was nominated for both PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year, though both awards were given to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo. In June 2007, he was named Arsenal Player of the Season, winning 60% of the vote.

Arsenal's 2007-08 season began with a lot of mystery. David Dein, the club's vice-chairman, was suspended amid rumors of internal strife, as well as the departure of Thierry Henry, the club's all-time top goalscorer and captain, who signed for Barcelona. Wenger's future with the club was also questioned. Fàbregas knew that he would be the Arsenal's most important player, but he was up for the challenge. He started the season off right, chalking up goals and assists, and soccernet attributed Arsenal's early success to the young Spaniard. In addition to his season's success, Arsenal fans awarded him the O2 Player of the Month award for August, September, and October, as well as the Premier League Player of the Month award for September. Fàbregas was also instrumental in the club's 2007–08 Champions League campaign, scoring late in the game against Milan, putting Arsenal in the quarter-finals. Although Arsenal's season ended, Fàbregas received several personal awards. Fàbregas was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards for the second year in a row, and was later named in the PFA Team of the Year. He was also named the 2007–08 Arsenal.com Player of the Season.

Fàbregas was appointed as the successor to William Gallas as the club captain on November 24, 2008, 14 league games into the 2008–09 season. However, the Spaniard was ruled out for four months after suffering a knee injury against Liverpool as Arsenal returned to the title race after a slow start to the season. The Gunners eventually finished the season without silverware, placing fourth in the league and being knocked out of the 2008–09 Champions League championships. The team that Fàbregas led into the new season featured much the same young nucleus as before, with Nicklas Bendtner, Gal Clichy, Abou Diaby, Dengson, Samir Nasri, Alex Song, and Theo Walcott in tow, as part of Arsenal's policy to groom its youth players.

Fàbregas scored a brace and also contributed to Arsenal's 6–1 away victory over Everton in the first league game of the 2009–10 season. Arsenal advanced to qualifying for the 2009–10 Champions League campaign by defeating Celtic over two legs, but their season's start was shattered by two league games to Manchester United and Manchester City. Following the team's setback, the team bounced back, and with Fàbregas' prolific in scoring and setting up his teammates, it went unbeaten in the next 13 games. Arsenal survived four league losses before mid-season, but after 22 games, they managed to lead the league standings. Fàbregas suffered a leg fracture while scoring the equalizing goal in the match that ended 2–2 on March 31, 2010, despite losing the match by 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 then eliminated by Barcelona in the Champions League and dropped out of the league championship competition. Later this year, Fàbregas was named to the PFA Team of the Year.

There was already high media skepticism about the Spaniard's future before the 2010-11 season, and a €35 million bid from Barcelona was turned down in June 2010. Despite the fact that Arsenal had lost five games before mid-season, they were still fighting for pole position with Manchester United and Manchester City. Arsenal were still in contention for the quadruple going into late February, but they were disqualified by Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the Champions League and crashed in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Even if Fàbregas did not participate in the League Cup Final, it was his misplaced backheel pass during the second leg of their Champions League match against Barcelona, which allowed them to match the aggregate score. Arsenal remained in contention for the league title until a string of draws in the final third of the season, causing them to fall too far behind league leaders Manchester United; they finished fourth. The following season was once more marred by insecurity. Barcelona made several bids for Fàbregas, while Arsenal's star performer Nasri, the previous season, was courted by Manchester City.

Barcelona agreed to Fàbregas for an initial fee of €29 million, plus a further €5 million in variables, plus Fàbregas would get Arsenal €1 million a year from his salary for five years, putting an end to one of the longest transfer sagas in recent times. Statistics reveal that Fàbregas had 466 goal-scoring opportunities, earned 86 assists, and scored 48 goals in the five years leading up to Fàbregas' departure from Arsenal, while other former teammates Xavi and Andrés Iniesta's respective debuts in the same period.

Fàbregas was a member of a team that had won three La Liga titles in a row, as well as two Champions League championships in three years, as well as one that featured Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and David Villa. In the second leg of the Supercopa de Espaa, he made his debut on the second leg of the Supercopa de Espaa, arriving as a back-up against Real Madrid. After being the object of a deadly assault from Marcelo, Fàbregas received a red card in the 90+4th. Barcelona dominated the tie 3–2 and 5–4 on aggregate. Barcelona defeated Porto 21-0, his first league goal on his debut in UEFA Super Cup 2011 and his first league goal on his first league appearance, a 5–0 home victory over Villarreal. In the 2–2 away draw to Valencia, he went on to score three more league goals in the month of September, including a late equalizer.

Since suffering a hamstring injury while on international service, Fàbregas was out for the majority of October. In a 4–0 away victory over Viktoria Plze in the Champions League, he made his comeback and scored. He made his league debut in a 2–2 draw against Athletic Bilbao, scoring a goal in the same match. In a 5–0 home win over Levante, Fàbregas then scored a brace before losing in a 3–1 away victory over Real Madrid. Fàbregas won by 4–0 against Brazilian club Santos later that year, helping Barcelona defeat Barcelona 4–0 in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final.

In a 4–0 victory over Osasuna in the Copa del Rey, Fàbregas got another brace. He also scored in the semi-finals of the Barcelona game against Valencia, assisting Barcelona in a 3–1 victory on aggregate. He maintained his regular role in Barcelona for the remainder of the season, including appearances in both semi-final legs of Chelsea's 3–2 aggregate loss to Chelsea in the Champions League, as well as a replacement appearance in the Copa del Rey final.

Fàbregas earned the 2011–12 Copa del Rey, 2011 FIFA Super Cup and the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup in Barcelona, scoring 15 goals and 20 assists in 48 appearances and four best midfielder awards in his first season.

With a brace against Sevilla in a 3–2 away victory, Fàbregas brought an end to his long-awaited league goals for his club. In October, he scored three goals in the league, Champions League, and Copa del Rey. In a 4–0 victory over Levante on Friday, he scored once more. Fàbregas defeated Málaga 3–1 on January 13, 2013 a 3–1 victory. In a 5–0 win over Mallorca on April 6, 2013, Fàbregas scored his first hat-trick of his career against Mallorca. He won the first league championship of his career with a record 100 points in his second season at Barcelona. Barcelona was defeated in the semi-finals of both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League to champions Real Madrid and the Champions League, but Bayern Munich defeated Barcelona. In 48 appearances in all competitions, Fàbregas ended the season with 14 goals and 12 assists.

Barcelona won the Supercopa de Espaa, kicking off the season. Fàbregas had five assists in a 7-0 victory over Levante in the first game of the league season on August 18. He scored 8 goals in 36 league games, including braces over Granada's victory over Granada on Monday and Getafe on December 22, the former featuring a penalty kick. Barcelona defeated Celtic 1-0 in the Champions League group stage of the Champions League on Sunday, bringing Alexis Sánchez's cross in the 73rd minute. He also scored the only goal of the game on October 1st.

Chelsea FC joined Fábregas on a five-year deal for a fee in the region of €33 million on June 12, 2014. Following his transfer, he wore the number 4 shirt, which had previously been worn by David Luiz. "I begged Barcelona to find a way for me to leave the club," Fàbregas said of his transfer. The president tried to prevent the selling, but "I already had my mind made up." "I didn't think that I'd be happy at Chelsea, I wouldn't have made this decision," he continued on to say. I want to be healthy both professionally and personally."

Fàbregas made his competitive debut for Chelsea on August 18th, when the team began their league season against Burnley; he scored the full 90 minutes of a 3–1 win and had two assists. In August 2014, he was a contender for the Premier League Player of the Month, but the award was switched to Diego Costa, a new Chelsea signing. Fàbregas became the first Premier League player to achieve at least one assist in six consecutive games on September 13, 2014, four under Chelsea and two under Arsenal. In Chelsea's first match of the Champions League group stage, he scored his first goal for the club, opening a 1–1 draw at home against Schalke 04 in their first match of the Champions League group stage.

Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 2–1 on October 18th, capping a 19-pass move. It was his first league goal for Chelsea. Fàbregas has also collected 123 passes, the most on either team. Fábregas scored an eighth-minute penalty to open a 3–1 Champions League win over Sporting CP on Sunday, with Chelsea already qualified to the knockout stage as group champions. Eden Hazard set up his second league goal and winning by 2–0 over Stoke.

After breaking his nose in a collision with Charlie Adam during the reverse fixture on April 4, the Fàbregas was fitted with a protective mask. In a win over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road eight days later, he scored the only goal of the game in the 88th minute. Following a 1–0 home win over Crystal Palace on the day before his 28th birthday, he claimed his first Premier League title at the ninth attempt on May 3rd. Fàbregas was handed the red card and booed off by fans for intentionally kicking the ball at Chris Brunt's head when players were speaking with referee Mike Jones at the penultimate game of the season, away from The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion. The suspension for this red card was reduced from three matches to one on appeal.

Chelsea defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 4–0 in the Champions League on September 16th, Fàbregas' first goal of the season. The supporter of Mourinho's dismissal of Mourinho in December was questioned by the crowd, with the supporters claiming that the trio's conduct and poor results were to blame for the team's poor form. He scored in a 3–3 home draw against Everton on January 15, 2016; his second came in a 2–1 away victory over Southampton on February 27, 2016. In a 2–2 home draw against local rivals West Ham United, Fàbregas scored a free-kick as well as a penalty on March 19, 2016. Chelsea converted a penalty in the 1-1 draw against Leicester City, the Premier League champions.

After being an unused substitution in the 2016-17 Premier League opener against West Ham, Fàbregas was compared to a move away from London. Fàbregas got off the bench against Watford on August 20, 2016, starting the match in the second half to replace Nemanja Mati and giving an assist to Diego Costa, who scored the winner in a 2–1 victory. Fàbregas' manager, Conte, lauded his inspiration in the comeback victory as well as his positive attitude during training sessions. Fàbregas' first two goals of the season came in an EFL Cup match against Leicester City on September 20th, with both teams coming within two minutes of each other in extra time to win the game 4–2.

Fàbregas played a full 90 minutes against Southampton U23 on November 21, 2016, during a month-long absence due to a fractured ankle. He gave Michy Batshuayi, his first teammate, two assists, and the match was a 3–2 victory. In a match against Manchester City on December 3, 2016, Fàbregas saw his first league action since September in a game against Manchester City. When Fàbregas picked out Diego Costa with a long ball into the box, Chelsea was trailing 1–0. Costa brought the ball down and smashed it into the goal to equalize. Fàbregas came off the bench against West Bromwich Albion on December 11, 2016 and made an immediate impact on the deadlocked match, finding Diego Costa once more with a long ball that resulted in the winning goal. Chelsea beat Southampton 1-0 for the tenth straight league victory of the season on December 14, 2016, scoring in the 40th minute against Sunderland. Fàbregas made his 100th Premier League appearance in Chelsea's 4–2 home win over Stoke City on December 31, 2016, becoming the first player in Premier League history to reach this landmark, with 74 fewer appearances than Ryan Giggs.

When Fàbregas collected goalkeeper Petr Cech's poor clearance and chipped the ball back over him, he scored against former club Arsenal on February 4, 2017. He did not celebrate the game out of respect for his former team. Chelsea defeated Swansea City 3-1 on February 25, and Fàbregas scored his 300th Premier League appearances with a goal and an assist. He also scored 102 assists in the Premier League, putting Frank Lampard as the league's second-highest provider of all time.

Fàbregas made 49 appearances in all competitions in the 2017-18 season, scoring three goals in a campaign that saw Chelsea beat Manchester United in the FA Cup. In the final, he played for the entire 90 minutes.

Fàbregas began his career in the 2018-19 season, scoring the champion against Derby County in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. The Blues beat the Blues 3–2 at Stamford Bridge.

On January 11, 2019, Fàbregas signed for Monaco in a contract that will run until June 2022. In a 1–1 draw against Marseille on January 13, Fàbregas made his league debut in a 1–1 draw. Fabregas scored his first league goal of the season for Monaco on February 2nd in a 2–1 victory over Toulouse. In a 3–2 victory over Monaco over Paris Saint-Germain on November 20, the first victory against PSG since August 2016.

Fàbregas was introduced as a new player for Serie B club Como on August 1, 2022, on a two-year deal.

International career

Although he plays for the Spain national football team, Fábregas' international career began early in youth. Despite playing in midfield, he finished as the top scorer of the tournament at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland and was voted Player of the Tournament. In the tournament to Brazil, Spain came in runners-up. Fàbregas was the first participant of the 2004 UEFA U-17 European Championship, where Spain also finished runners-up. He was named the Ultimate Player of the tournament by FIFA.

Since he came as one of Arsenal's best players in his second season with the club, Fàbregas did not take long to be called up to the senior squad. Luis Aragonés, Arsenal's 2006 Champions League coach, selected the youth in the squad for a friendly against the Ivory Coast owing to his outstanding results in the team's 2006 Champions League campaign. Fàbregas was the youngest player to play for Spain in 70 years, defeating Sergio Ramos' record in the game. He received acclaim for his debut, and he was instrumental in the build-up to Spain's first goal in the 3–2 victory over the Ivorians.

Fàbregas was selected for the Spanish 2006 FIFA World Cup team on May 15, 2006. During the tournament, he appeared as a second-half replacement in Spain's first two group games, helping striker Fernando Torres win by 3–1. In Spain's third group match against Saudi Arabia, he then began alongside Spain's reserve players (including then-Arsenal teammate José Antonio Reyes) before starting with Spain's reserve players (including then-Arsenal teammate José Antonio Reyes). He started in Spain's first knockout stage match against France against France, replacing Marcos Senna, but Spain lost 3–1. After 77 minutes in the 4–0 win over Ukraine on June 13, 2006, Fàbregas became the youngest player in Spanish football history to play in a World Cup, where he came on as a replacement for Luis Garca after 77 minutes in the 4–0 victory over Ukraine on 13 days old. Later on, he was nominated for the Gillette Young Player of the World Cup, but Lukas Podolski of Germany received the award.

Fàbregas was given the squad number 10, rather than the 18 he had previously had. Despite being primarily a back-up, the midfielder made a huge difference in Spain's campaign. In Spain's 4–1 victory over Russia, he scored his first international goal and was also assisting. Spain won all three of its group tournaments, as well as Italy in the quarter-finals. After the teams remained deadlocked 0–0 after extra time, Fàbregas scored the winning penalty in the penalty shoot-out. Spain defeated Russia 3–0 in the semi-finals, with Fàbregas providing two assists. In the Final against Germany, where Spain defeated Spain 1–0; this was Spain's first major championship since 1964. Fàbregas was selected by the UEFA Technical Team in the Team of the Tournament, a 23-man squad selected by the UEFA Technical Team for his efforts.

Fàbregas recovered his position as a regular in Vicente del Bosque's squad after being out for several months due to his injury. He was selected in June for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in Montreal. In a 5–0 win over New Zealand in the competition's group stage, he scored his second international goal. Spain lost by 2–0 in the semi-finals against the United States (which Fàbregas also started), and its 15-game winning streak came to an end.

Fàbregas was selected as part of del Bosque's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Fàbregas did not debut in any of Spain's games in the tournament, with del Bosque preferring a starting midfield of Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta. In four of Spain's seven matches, he was a replacement in four of their seven games before winning the next six en route to the final. For the first time in history, Fàbregas defeated Iniesta in the final.

Fàbregas was selected as part of del Bosque's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2012, where he was selected. In Spain's first Group C match against Italy, Fàbregas formed the front three of a 4–3–3 formation against Italy, essentially operating as a false 9. In the 64th minute, he scored the equalizer after Italy had taken the lead in the 61st minute; the game was ended in a 1–1 draw. In the next group stage match against Ireland, which resulted in a 4–0 victory to Spain, he scored his second goal of the tournament. Fàbregas scored the winning penalty of the shootout when Spain defeated Portugal in the semi-finals and the game remained scoreless at the end of extra time. Fàbregas got off and gave David Silva the assistance for the game's first goal en route to a 4–0 victory over Spain.

Fàbregas was selected in the provisional squad in the run-up to the 2013 Confederations Cup by del Bosque. He made two starts in the competition and one substitute appearance, as well as assisting with a goal in Spain's first group match against Uruguay, which Spain defeated 21-01. Spain also won all their group matches, with only conceding a goal and scoring 15. For the first time, Spain advanced to the final of the competition for the first time in a long and struggle in a re-match against their European Championship Final opponents, Italy. After extra time and Spain defeated 7–6 in the resulting penalty shoot-out, the hosts and defending champions Brazil eventually lost 3–0 in the final, but the hosts and defending champions Brazil eventually defeated Argentina 3–0.

Fàbregas was selected in Spain's 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup, and was also included in the tournament's final list. In the first 1–5 loss to the Netherlands, he made his debut in the tournament, swapping David Silva for the final 12 minutes. In the last group game, Spain was already eliminated, he won by 22 minutes over 3–0, this time in place of Santi Cazorla.

Fàbregas captained Spain for the first time on March 31 in a 0–2 friendly loss at the Amsterdam Arena on March 31, 2015. In a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Ukraine with Spain already qualified, he earned his 100th cap on October 12th, becoming the tenth Spaniard to do so. He won a first-half penalty after being fouled by Oleksandr Kucher, but Andriy Pyatov saved his spot kick. He began all of Spain's matches at the finals, being withdrawn from each of the three group games and playing the entirety of the Madrid loss in the Round of 16 that ended their participation.

Fàbregas did not qualify for the Spain squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup (his Chelsea colleagues Pedro, lvaro Morata, and Marcos Alonso were also ruled out of the team's disappointing season; instead, he joined the BBC as a studio analyst for the tournament.

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