The light of his career, which shone with unusual brilliance in his early years, had faded a long time ago, but now we know that Cesc Fàbregas is retiring, a term that makes less and less sense. For people like Fàbregas, football is a continuum. His stage as a player, long and very productive, will precede a new period associated with the numerous windows that football opens for him. The player has left, but the coach, sports director, agent, commentator or influencer enters, if he gets to it. Fàbregas had lost track of his penultimate destination, Monaco, a luxury reservoir for former stars and a springboard for future idols. That’s where Mbappé started. One came from winning everything and the other wanted to conquer the world. We will see in which direction Mbappé’s trajectory leads. He is the best player on the planet, but some of his decisions are delaying his validity as Messi’s successor.
As for Fàbregas, you can already see the final arc of his long journey in football. He was a substantial part of the best generation of Spanish football, won the World Cup with the national team and, on two occasions, the Euro Cup, was an idol in an unforgettable edition for Arsenal and returned to Barça in its heyday. It would be said that he did it by popular request. The fans wanted to recover the child prodigy who had left the club at the age of 15 and give themselves the pleasure of seeing him reunited with Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Messi.
Fàbregas returned to the imperial Barça that Guardiola had built, his idol since childhood. For him and for the people, the signing closed the circle on all sides, without any fissure. A book signing on the football and sentimental level. What could go wrong? Nothing. Barça worked like silk, Fàbregas was more than proven as a player and the Camp Nou claimed him with special affection. However, something went wrong. Three years later, Fàbregas left Barça.
He signed for Chelsea, one of those decisions that may make sense in the professional chapter, but not in the popular one. The Arsenal fans withdrew their greetings until further notice – the affection will return over the years – and at Stamford Bridge he was more appreciated than loved, at best. His competition in the national team was no longer automatic and, sooner than expected, his international stage was closed. It’s been too long since the name of Cesc Fàbregas was no longer familiar to the average fan. There is a Fàbregas before Barça and another, after. In his first English stage he contributed decisively to the brilliance of Arsenal and the national team.
A prodigious youth, he advanced his steps like few others. At the age of 17, he was the undisputed starter for the Gunners and very soon for the national team. A moment of Fàbregas marked the destiny of Spain in football. He converted the penalty against Italy that allowed the team access to the Euro 2008 semifinal. He cleared up the ghosts that historically weighed on the team. From there, four years of great success. They were the Beatles of soccer. His most recognizable qualities at Arsenal and in the national team – a supreme instinct to move in midfield, stealthily reach the box and produce goals with astonishing ease – were worse at Barça, where he did not quite feel like a starter, a situation that was not very good. friendly for a player who felt like a rightful figure. You had to find a place for it in a system that had all its bases occupied. In order for him to play, the Barcelona Parthenon was exchanged for a Picasso painting. He played, once very well, and scored an appreciable number of goals. But nothing was the same, neither for Barça nor for Cesc.
