The selling point of Arsenal’s final pre-season fixture this summer, if you don’t count the Community Shield as one, is Cesc Fabregas returning to the Emirates.
Because the 39-year-old didn’t possess his Pro Licence at the time, he wasn’t officially titled Como manager the year they got promoted, but essentially the Spaniard has led the club into Serie A all the way to the Champions League since taking over in July 2023, while most in Italy say his side play some of the most attractive football.
He’s used his friendship with Mikel Arteta to arrange this friendly. It can’t hurt either that the Italian club’s minority owner and shareholder is a certain Thierry Henry.
Henry, of course, is an Invincible. Twenty-two years later, Mikel Arteta ended our title drought.
But what about those in between?
Was Fabregas right to leave Arsenal?
It always seemed harsh that Cesc Fabregas only had an FA Cup medal to show for his time in North London.
The truth is, it would have been an insult had someone so good not lifted major trophies.
While some Gooners won’t forgive how he eventually forced through his transfer, I believe two things.
Having been a Gunner for eight years, he really wanted to realise his ambitions with us but knew that wasn’t going to happen.
Secondly, he had been at La Masia since the age of 10. So when you move a 16-year-old from Spain to England, you know that one day playing for Barcelona will be an itch most would want to scratch.
At 24, the midfielder did what he felt had to be done to make his dream come true. Those methods might be why you hear jeers on Wednesday night.
Why you might hear cheers is that it turned out he was correct that Arsenal couldn’t match his ambitions at the time. We would quickly learn how much the debt from building a new stadium was restricting us off the pitch.
Could Cesc have been more professional in his last few days before leaving? Yes.
Does that mean he was wrong about the direction of our club? No.
Both can be true.
I also believe he’s genuine when he says that if it were anyone else but his boyhood club, he would have stayed.
What happened when Fabregas wanted to return?
That’s why all parties included a first-option clause in his Barca deal, meaning the moment Fabregas left the Nou Camp, his former club had to be invited to match any bid.
The World Cup winner made it clear to Arsenal that returning was their client’s preference.
Not only did Ivan Gazidis let the week deadline expire, Fabregas was hurt that no one from Arsenal even had the courtesy to call back.
Mr Wenger later admitted he was trying to set an example to his current group, that if you left and the grass didn’t prove greener, you couldn’t just think it would be easy to come back.
Yet that could have been communicated.
It’s an example of how our club was being run at the time and is why a portion of our fanbase are not as hostile as others that, when he did live again in the English capital, it was at Chelsea.
As things stand, I would have him as our next boss, so that tells you what I think about him.
Some of my peers can’t forget the manner in which he departed and the sight of him lifting silverware in a blue shirt. That’s their right.
Based purely on ability, though, is he one of the very best to play for Arsenal at the Emirates?
Dan Smith
What reaction will you give Fabregas this week? Cheers, jeers or something in between? And does “once a Gunner, always a Gunner” apply to Cesc? Let us know in the comments.
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I personally think that Cesc was one of our best players at the time and it was unfortunate that we were in that position where we couldn’t really strengthen the team because of the stadium debt and while I don’t agree with Wenger not taking the option of buying him back I can understand Wengers point of view. I would give Fabregas a big cheer when he comes here with Como, I think he deserves it.
I’ve always been a huge fan of fabregas – I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated a player more for their passing ability. He saw and played passes very few others could, but he also developed into a goalscoring midfielder and he wasn’t weak defensively either. The 07/08 team was one of my favourites to watch, and they were extremely unlucky not to have beaten an admittedly fantastic utd side to the title, and he was the heart of it.
Overall, I think he’s massively underrated as a player because he made the mistake of leaving arsenal when he did. Don’t hold it against him now, water under the bridge.
That season, I think we were 11 points ahead and then Edu got injured! And from there on we collapsed and allowed man United to beat us to the title. And ooh my the football was a joy
Never liked how he behaved at the end but I never begrudged him. Wenger’s ego to not exercise the first refusal still puzzled me. Could he have improved us, Yes. So sport wise the deal made sense but then wenger decided to take the moral way!
That was the worst decision in a footballing perspective.
I think Dan has got it right.
While he was with us he played for the badge.
He was entitled to move on when he felt he needed to.
The ‘way he left’ was disappointing to say the least.
That could have been down to bad advice – that’s the power of Agents in football in my view.
He wanted Arsenal to have first option when he left Barca – for understandable reasons Arsenal didn’t take it, but they could and should have communicated those reasons to him.
As fans, we were all ‘gutted’ when he signed for Chelsea – but in light of the fact the Club didn’t communicate with him, with regard to the first option buy back, who can really blame him for that.
Let bygones be bygones.
Gooner’s should show their CLASS and give him the genuine warm and positive welcome he deserves.
I have nothing against a player wanting to leave us, but go about it the right way ! The 🐀 Fabregas didn’t. The last game of the 2010/11 season we needed to get a result at Fulham to guarantee our place in the CL, and where was our captain, in Barcelona watching the Grand Prix. He then refused to go on the pre-season tour to the Far East and the game in Lisbon against Benfica. He done all of that to force his move to Barcelona !
As for having first dibs on signing him, the club let that be known to placate the fans. They had no intention of resigning him due to the way he left, thats why they ended up signing Ozil in 2013.
+1
👍
nah we were already guaranteed 4th by the final day
even if he played and we had won we wouldn’t have finished 3rd
he was injured so didn’t matter where he was
Herr Drier,
As I’ve said in my post just before yours – and I might be wrong on this, but the poor way he left could well have been down to bad advice, and the influence from Agents – Barca – his boyhood club may have even played a part it all that.
And as we all know, when Ozil got his contract extension and 350K per week salary he made no effort at all, and just walked around the pitch for 90 minutes for most matches, until he was benched, and then finally moved on – all while he was getting his 350K every week.
Fabregas NEVER did anything like that.
Chris S, two things had a major affect on him leaving. One was Wenger refusing to pay £18m for Alonso from Liverpool. Fabregas had spent time on bigging up the club and Alonso wanted to come, but Wenger was only willing to spend £16m.
The other reason was the woman that Fabregas was seeing. She was married with 2 kids. Her husband apparently was a bit dodgy.
As for Ozil, he’s always been about money. That’s why his home town club Schalke 04 dropped him from their squad when he refused to sign his 1st professional contract, as he reckoned the wages weren’t good enough.
Thought his was as much of a betrayal as Van Persie’s if not worse because of the shenanigans regarding his desire to join up with a winning group of players at Barcelona and the jersey incident. It clearly effected his form and the dressing room mood, whereas Van Persie’s decision to leave was partially formed by his disgruntlement post season at Arsenal’s lack of ambition as well as the club wanting to cash in on him before he broke down again. Still that was then and as an up and coming manager returning to the club where it all began, good luck to him, and who knows in future he might get the opportunity to redeem himself as our next manager.
“Van Persie’s decision to leave was partially formed by his disgruntlement post season at Arsenal’s lack of ambition”
Van Persie himself said that after the season where he scored about 30 league goals, he wrote down and gave the club a list of 7 things he demanded the club to do. And because the club refused, he decided to leave as they didn’t have ambition.
How can your own staff demand that your company implement certain policies else he will leave? Can you do such at your workplace? What right does he have to determine and demand the direction of the club because he scored many goals? He’s rightly called Judas
Yeh whatever, he saved our season got his team into his the top four with his goals and captaincy. Especially after Fabegras abandoned ship Aside from Rice probably Arsenal’s best captain post immortals. Refused to swallow Wegner’s bs., the traitorous fiend.
Too many Spaniards in top coaching positions what makes them special?
It started before that World Cup with Barcelona midfielder Xavi Fernández saying that Cesc had “Barca DNA” and was followed up after the final with his winning Spain teammates pulling a Barca shirt over his head.
I wouldn’t cheer or jeer him, too grown up for that now.
I’m also very pleased for him at Como.
The game’s free on Arsenal YouTube again.
Today no need for Fabregas’ cheers or jeers if that pen was not skied. Today is a European Super Cup day when PSG meet Aston Villa. Could have been all English affair.
Special day as a Somali ref officiates this important European tie. We remember what happened with this ref in the WC. Bravo Ceferin Uefa for this extraordinary bold decision. Good luck ref Artan!
Always anti-Infantino
Makes decisions popular with fans
I suspect that Ceferin is trying to become FIFA president soon
Surely
Please don’t blame me mate i am just following stories. Btw Uefa > Fifa. Governance and finance wise
OT. Doing rounds is we are offering skelly to man u and Chelsea! Sometimes Arsenal doesn’t fail to amaze me! Are we this desperate? No wonder we sell our players on the cheap. Gutted. If this is indeed true
Kenya001, it’s all a load of rubbish.
Herr Drier,
I hope you’re right. If true, questions need to be asked of the club in my opinion.
Definitely questions need to be asked if true.
Derek, the fake story wasn’t put out by The Arsenal, it would seem that certain journalists are trying to stir things up.
Derek, I doubt that it’s true…but, but, but…he’s seen Hincapie & Bruno brought into his two Arsenal positions, so could you blame him if he didn’t see a chance of progressing?
Again, I doubt if there’s anything in this🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
Jax,
I hear what you say. But with the amount of games they’ll play this season, and if the manager improves regarding rotation the likes of Skelly should get plenty of game time in my opinion. 🤞
Derek, let’s hope that’s how it goes.
Herr Drier,
I’ve just read on the BBC Website that Chelsea have just signed a left back by the name of Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallerano.
Now all we need is United to sign a left back. 🤞😂
I’d like to talk about three players if I may.
The first is Fabregas, yes his behavior could have been better. But I didn’t really begrudge him his move back to Barcelona, that was always going to happen one day. Just interested to know if had the way he left been on a better terms, would anyone have welcomed him back to the club had they taken up their option to resign him.
The second is Van Persie, I haven’t got a problem with what he did at all. He could see clearly that they were no longer a Title winning side, and therefore his decision to move to United was vindicated with winning the League with them at the first attempt.
Now the third one for me is the one that leaves a sour taste for me. Lets call him Cashley Cole, a superb left back of that there is no doubt. But to quibble over what was claimed to be £5000 less than was verbally agreed is to me an absolute joke. Thought he was getting £65,000, but was getting £60,000.
So, instead of going down the correct channels i.e., putting in a transfer request. He meets with Chelsea behind Arsenal’s back, and then when he gets caught out, acts like he’s the wronged party. And then accuses Arsenal of hanging him out to dry with the media. What did he expect, some flowers and chocolates.
Now I know that the three players I’ve mentioned left our great club under a cloud, but for me by far the worst one was a certain Cashley Cole who left because he was only going to get £60,000 a week as apposed to the £65,000 originally promised by the club.
Just let those numbers sink in, do these players actually live in the real world.
Think it’s the principle of Arsenal going back on their word ?
Doesn’t make you feel important does it ?
If you are offered a wage in a job interview and accept the offer , when you sign the contract would you not speak up if it were less then offered
Bearing in mind this is a football club , 5 grand a week is nothing to them
Dan,
That works both ways. Earning £55,000 instead of £60,000 is not going to put you on the bread line is it.
And regards principles, what principles. They soon go out of the window when said player angles for a move.
I agree but then Arsenal shouldn’t have offered him the 60-000 should they ?
It’s really unprofessional for a company to do that
Don’t think it’s about the money it’s about your value .
So if a company is making money that and you know your peers are on more then you , you want your contribution to be reflected
The breadline is comment is a separate debate mate
Saka doesn’t need to be on 300-000 pound a week does he ?
Do you think tomorrow he would accept 295.000 on the basis of well you can live off that?
This is a business
Dan,
I hear what you say about the players and their market value, and what they think their worth regarding their wages.
But for me, it can be spun anyway people like. No footballer is worth the fee that’s asked or the wages that their on, yes it’s market forces and all that. But I’m afraid money killed football long ago in my view.
I like my football, but I never lose sight of the obsene amounts of money that’s banded about. And of course that has a knock on effect regards the fans, the so called most important people at the club according to some. But you wouldn’t think it by the way they get treated.
I agree mate but then equally should fans be paying over 100 pound for a shirt or thousands for a ticket ?
if Arsenal are getting millions ….. shouldn’t the players get some ?
Dan,
It’s a vicious circle really isn’t it.
The club use the players exuberant wages as to the reason the tickets and merchandise is so expensive.
Well who’s fault is that. It’s the club and their owners for paying these obsene wages in the first place, it’s now had a knock on effect in all aspects of football.
I tell you what Dan, when Jimmy Hill originally stood up for the footballer regards their treatment and how it was to favored in the clubs direction.
Well now it’s gone to fa the other way, and the player seems to hold most of the cards. I wouldn’t imagine Jimmy Hill had this in mind when he first stood up for the players.
Derek, Cole wasn’t the first Arsenal player to meet a representative from another club while under contract to us. One of the greatest players I’ve ever seen play for us did it in January 1980. Liam Brady met Uli Hoeness of Bayern Munich 6 months before his contract with us ended. Although he ended up going to Juventus, he still broke the rules.
Cole was on £15k a week, the club offered and he accepted £60k per week. They then dropped it by 8.5% to £55k. He was the best LB in the world and I’d be very surprised if anyother world class player would accept that happening to them.
Herr Drier,
Thank you for putting me straight regards the figures. But we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this subject.
Now I know were talking about what a player is worth in their own eyes. But for me to quibble over what was £5000 is a joke. I like my football, but I see the game for what it is.
And I don’t care who the footballer is or how good they are, the money they get is obscene. And It’s got nothing to do with jealousy or anything like that, if these clubs are willing to pay such stupid money then who’s not going to take it.
But it doesn’t change the fact that their grossly over paid for what they do. And for me in Cashley Coles case, he just summed up to me the pure greed that is in the game.
Offer me £60,000, and then drop it to £55,000. I might be a little miffed, but picking up my weekly £55,000 a week, I’d soon get over it.
As I say, we’re not going to agree on this one I’m afraid.
If only Arsenal cared like you do about their fans money mate
Dan,
I agree, but none the less what I say is true. The game is gone regards the money involved. No player is worth the money they get for what they do, and I don’t care who they are.
I agree due but clubs can’t have it both ways
dude
Read my post just above about Van Persie.
He’s not the saint you think he was.
I didn’t even add that he kept on speaking ill about us at every given opportunity when he left
Some fond memories of Cesc absolutely tearing teams apart alongside the likes of Rosicky, Hleb and Wiltshire, that Arsenal side in the early Emirates years should have won at least 2 titles and could have won the champions league, so near yet so far and it’s a shame the way he eventually left for Barcelona but I suppose he just couldn’t turn them down, who wouldn’t want to join them at that time? Messi and co. were a bit special.
Fabrgas, Cole and Van Persie, I have no problem with, its football. There is always two sides to a story and both sides probably have good reasons. They wanted to better themselves either financially or trophy wise, or both. To be fair, they all went to teams that were better than Arsenal at the time. It wouldn’t have been better for any of them to stay at Arsenal instead. We all move on.
A very provocative article, But Sesc Fabregas was pressured and harassed by no other but Pep Guarrdiola at Barcelona.
In my opinion Sesc Fabregas departure was nastier than a once great player, Nicolas Anelka,
The legendary Frenchman once said of all the players he regret never taking back was Nicolas Anelka, It is through the Frenchman was miss guided by his greedy brothers, but Sesc transgressions on how he left Arsenal cuts deeper
Gunsmoke,
I heard it once said that with Anelka’s brothers being his unlicensed agents, and the amount of times he moved clubs in his early years. It was said the brothers acted like they’d found an oilwell in their back garden and were bleeding it dry.
Anelka’s had more clubs than Tiger Woods. 😂🤣👍
Have you ever thought about doing the Edinburgh fringe?
Morning SueP,
No I’m alright thanks, I had a hair-cut a couple of weeks ago. 🤣😂👍
SueP
It was timely you suggested the Edinburgh Fringe to DEREK, he’s such a great character having around.
Am not sure how he would get on with a certain fan from Croydon, had such fan still a regular poster
Afternoon Gunsmoke,
You’ve got me curious, who is this poster from Croydon you talk of. 👍
A fan name Jon Fox, never a day would pass without a rant, kept admin busy.
But admin may have gotten lazy and the easy way out , may have been to ban him.
Now am only assuming he was ban ,what I do know, not a fan was speared his wrought and surly me in particular
Gunsmoke,
I’ve read other poster’s talk about him, but didn’t realize he was from Croydon. Still I won’t hold that against him, someone’s got to live there haven’t they. 😂
His reputation certainly goes before him doesn’t it.
Thanks for enlightening me on this matter, I appreciate it. 👍
DEREK
No , I didn’t mean to mention Croydon in a bad light, and am sure that place produces some great scholars.
So I was never perturbed by his mannerism, I took his daily ranting as sheer entrainment, but you could never tell who’s next on the receiving end of his rant .
A fan once questioned his authenticity on being an Arsenal fan, asking him , how he have not gone to the Emirates, but yet to Crystal Palace home games , and you never hear the end of it
Gunsmoke,
Don’t worry you didn’t mention Croydon in a bad light in anyway. It’s just me being me I’m afraid. I always look for the funny angle in things.
But I believe there’s plenty of room for a laugh isn’t there. Life can get us all down at times, and I find a bit of comedy lightens the mood a bit.
Whether others poster’s find my humour to their taste is another question, but I won’t change.
And just to say, that there’s nothing wrong with Croydon, just in case anyone is from there and has taken offence.
He made me laugh Gunsmoke
Before I ever posted Id read him calling out some posters as CLOWNS. It tickled me. It’s fair to say that Admin had their hands full but a character he most certainly was back then
SueP
Having been on the receiving end of his rants the most, It may come as a surprise to hear me saying, he could well have learned his lessons after a two year ban.
But it does appears somthing significantly bad was uttered from the elder English man pen.
Have noticed, time and time again SueP, you have come to my rescue from the Elder Englishman wrought, I remember, he had ask admin to come up with a 9pm slot for posters like me,