Sunday 29 March 2009

Cesc will make decision at the end of the season

Asked about the rumous linking him to several European top clubs among which Barcelona (read more here), Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas has said at a press conference that he will decide at the end of the season if he stays with Arsenal or not:

"Every player lives his life in his own way. Every summer one evaluates how the season has been, if he's happy and if he can make progress. But now there are still two months left, I've just recovered from an injury that kept me sidelined for four months and I only have to focus on what I like, which is playing football.

At this moment I'm very happy at Arsenal, I have a big responsibility as captain of the team. If someone wants me, they'll first have to talk with Arsenal. If Wenger would then ask me to stay, I will surely stay. But now I just want to return and, if possible, lift a trophy at the end of the season.

I cannot control what is being said or not said about me, although the truth is that it's an incredible honour that two of the greatest clubs in the history of football, like Barcelona and Real Madrid, are said to be interested in me. Guardiola is and will always be my idol but I'm not closing the door to anyone. I've never done that. Where you have played as a youth player is one thing and my career as professional player is another thing.

When I was young, Barcelona printed a football philosophy in my head that isn't the philosphy of Real Madrid, but at this moment at Arsenal, despite the fact that we like to have ball possession, we play a counter-attack football that is more or less similar to that of Madrid, while at the national team we play more like Barça. That's why I think that I can play at both teams."

Cesc’s father, Francesc Fabregas senior, is meanwhile quoted as commenting on his son's future in an interview with Catalan radio station Onda Cero Catalunya: "Of course, he likes to hear that Barça or Milan or Madrid like him. Anyone would. Any person in a job likes it if another company tells them they are fans and that they would like them to join their company.

Cesc can adapt to wherever he plays. He loves to play football and I am sure that he could fit in at any club. We are all Barca fans in the family, but everyone must understand that we are with Arsenal. At this moment, he is happy and enjoying himself there. The club values him highly.

The only thing that I can say about Florentino Pérez is that four years ago he came to us and we said 'no'. There was a lot of money on the table and we said 'no'. We felt that it was not the best moment for Cesc to move. He has to think of himself and it is not all about money."

Read more:
Cesc rejects Madrid because of Barça dream
Do we buy? Fabregas.
Aguero, Cesc and Asenjo could join this summer

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

i dont think a true cule would leave the door open for real madrid and even flirt with the idea. he left us once before... i dont think he has the right mindset to want to commit to barca. look at pique, he said coming back to barca was better than winning the champions league

BA said...

he's obviously of divided mind, but i just don't see a place for him in our first team. he certainly isn't going to dislodge any of our forward players. unless he can play as a central defender, i just don't think we should spend the money to bring him back yet. however...

Note to Cesc: the best way to ingratiate yourself with Barca fans is not to talk about how much Madrid wants you.

Anonymous said...

A very wierd statement if he is a true cule.

Anyhow, if he choose barca one day, which he probaly will, it could look something like this:

-----Valdes-----
--Dani--Pique-Puyi
------Yaya-------
-Xavi-Cesc-Iniesta
--Messi-Eto'o--Henry

Why not?

tero said...

Why would we need him whwn we have Xavi and Iniesta.Those two are 100% Barca.

FCB-Fitz said...

No. I saw too much of the 3-4-3 under Rijkaard, and it was a disaster. There may be individual matches or match situations which make the formation appropriate, but as a general proposition, I don't think it has a regular place in modern football. That being the case, I don't think we should spend that kind of money on a player just to use him in a formation that is rarely appropriate. The bottom line is that Cesc and Xavi have the same role in midfield, and until Xavi gets older, Cesc won't play a pivotal role in this team. I love the player, but I just can't justify spending the necessary transfer fee until the player would play a more important role in the team, especially when the player left the youth ranks (I don't hold this against him on a personal level as he made a professional decision that worked out well for him; rather, I just mean it doesn't make economic sense for Barca).

kamikaze kontiki said...

Every time someone posts a comment on the positions at which we should bring in players next season the ones suggested are LW, LB, GK and then as an afterthought, CF. No one thinks we need another midfielder.

I think the team management also thinks likewise. The most important consideration when it comes to buying a player must be whether we need him or not. The club should not base its decisions on a sense of insecurity prompted by the fear that this or that player may join RM or the sentimental notion that he is after a Barca youth product who was stolen from us. Also if we do sign Cesc, we will have to pay heavily for him.

Pique's signing was necessary coz we needed a CB and Pique's pricetag was not as high as Cesc's is likely to be.

PerJun said...

He shouldn't even think about joining Real Madrid. Hope he stays in London.

Ramen said...

Rijkaard's 3-4-3 didn't work because he had no wide player whatsoever in that formation. Still, it probably won't work in the modern game anymore anyway.

SimonP said...

Argentina played 3-4-3 this weekend and won with 4-0... I'm not saying it's for Barca but every system has its benefits and disadvantages.

I think it would be crazy to buy Cesc right now. Right now we have Xavi, Iniesta and maybe Hleb that play there and with an exciting talent like Thiago coming through I think we should try him out before signing someone new.

Another argument for not buying him is the message that it sends to all our youth players. It's OK to move to another club with a better contract and when you have broken through there we come with a big bag of money and take you back. I think that's very dangerous in a long-term perspective.

And of course any true Culé would exclude Real Madrid from any possible future!

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