On Sunday at 18:00 in the English "Premier" League, the top teams will clash - tournament leaders "Chelsea" and second-placed "Arsenal" players. However, the main highlight of the evening will not be the fight for the title, but the return of former iconic "Arsenal" hero Cesc Fabregas to the "Emirates" stadium. The Spaniard, who played in the ranks of the Gunners from 2003-11, appeared 303 times on the pitch, scored 57 goals, and became the club captain in 2008. But now he is on the other side of the barricades.
The figure that divides the fans into different sides
Thousands of "Arsenal" fans walk across the Ken Friar Bridge before every match at the "Emirates" stadium. The side structures of this bridge are decorated with images of players who deserve it for the club. One of the players prominently displayed on this bridge is Cesc Fabregas. Probably no other player's image among the "Arsenal" fans raises as much passion.
Some say that Cesc was simply an amazing player, carrying a mediocre team on his young shoulders year after year, meeting the high standards of "Arsenal" enough for the respect he deserves. Others say that the minute C.Fabregas put on the blue "Chelsea" jersey for the first time, he became public enemy number one, and his image placement is in the background, not in a honorable place at the "Emirates" stadium.
Once a hero, today C. Fabregas will likely be loudly booed at the "Emirates" stadium. Among the fans, discussions still boil about the former captain's reception, but the booers should be in the majority.
Beginning of the career in North London
The short, slender Catalan arrived in North London in 2003 from the "Barcelona" youth academy, where he played alongside Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi. At first, he struggled, but after some time, the 16-year-old C. Fabregas befriended his team-mate Swiss Philippe Senderos, who spoke Spanish. With his help, the young Catalan got used to the quirky Albion and thus began his romance with the "Arsenal" club.
Initially, "Gunners" coach Arsene Wenger only allowed C. Fabregas onto the field for cup games, but in the 2004-05 season, when he was only 17 years old, the midfielder unexpectedly broke into the starting lineup, and the English press praised the new "Premier" League star. Arsene Wenger believed he had found the best player he had ever trained and on his list of pupils he had names like Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and others.
It was C. Fabregas who partially ended the career of the latter in "Arsenal" - year after year, Arsene Wenger believed in the Frenchman, until in 2005 he finally agreed to sell him to Juventus. One of the reasons - Arsene Wenger already had a new safe box star.
"Arsenal" leader and captain
In the 2005-06 season, the whole world found out about C. Fabregas. When that season "Arsenal" eliminated the Madrid "Real" superstars in the Champions League, the impressive performances of the young Catalan impressed both the "Real" representatives and the Spanish press. That season "Arsenal" fell in the Champions League final, and in the summer Cesc was courted by both "Barcelona" and "Real". The latter wanted him so much that they were supposedly ready to pay any price.
"I want to pay back the debt to the club, and especially to A. Wenger for the support and trust he has given me," said C. Fabregas when he signed an impressive 8-year contract with "Arsenal" in the autumn of 2006.
In the 2007-08 season, his star shone brightly, and "Arsenal" led the Premier League for most of the season, only slipping to Manchester United in the final third of the season. No one blamed the "Gunners" for it - they were a young team.
However, in the next season, the absence of a leader in "Arsenal" became apparent. The team faltered, and in November, Arsene Wenger decided to strip the captaincy from William Gallas. The new captain became C. Fabregas. However, he soon suffered a serious injury and did not play for almost 3 months, and "Arsenal" finished 4th in the Premier League with great difficulty.
Flirting with "Barcelona"
In the 2009-10 season, "Arsenal" started strong again, scoring many goals and fighting for the title. A spectacular performance was put on by the "Gunners" at the beginning of October against "Blackburn Rovers", beating the opponents 6:2. C. Fabregas made 4 assists in that game and also scored a goal, kissing the "Arsenal" badge afterward. It was a clever way in which he tried to deny the rumors linking him to "Barcelona".
However, everything turned upside down in the summer of 2010. After another disastrous season end, "Arsenal" was left without trophies again, while his childhood hero Pep Guardiola's "Barca" became one of the most powerful machines in football history. The patience of the "Arsenal" star wore thin.
That summer, C. Fabregas told Wenger for the first time - he wanted to go back home to Barcelona. The Frenchman remained principled and did not sell his star for any money, but even then the Catalans did not give up. The famous comments of Xavi about "Cesc's DNA" with Barca, or Pique and Reina's show when the duo, after winning the World Cup with the Spanish national team, forcibly put on the Barca jerseys on Fabregas on stage, were just a few examples of provocation.
Finally, Wenger convinced Fabregas to stay for another season. The 2010-11 season promised a lot, but "Arsenal" fell short once again in the fight for the Premier League title, losing to Manchester United, and ended the season without trophies. The season was unsuccessful and full of injuries for the Catalan.
Return home
In the summer of 2011, the "Arsenal" captain returned to his coach with the same request - to allow him to return home. The club's position regarding Fabregas had changed, and they were ready to sell their star to "Barcelona" for the right price.
One of the most dramatic soap operas in football history ended on August 15, 2011, when the former "Arsenal" captain escaped to the "Camp Nou" stadium in blue-granate jerseys. An important detail - in the agreement with Barcelona, there was a clause giving Arsenal the right of first refusal to retrieve their former player.
Barcelona and all of Catalonia were in ecstasy - the prodigal son had returned home. Unfortunately, the ecstasy quickly faded. The anarchist Cesc just couldn't fit in the Barcelona team, which operated with Swiss watch precision. The nickname the anarchist was given by none other than Pep Guardiola. In the beginning, the coach claimed that this anarchy added a new dimension and unpredictability factor to the blue-granate team, but the further on, the clearer it became that C. Fabregas, accustomed to English football, simply did not fit in with his new team.
Meanwhile, the flirtation with Arsenal did not end. C. Fabregas admitted that even after returning to Catalonia, he constantly tried to watch his former team's matches. In an interview with Sky Sports TV, he said he had father-son relationships with A. Wenger and ultimately said that he could not imagine himself in another club than Arsenal or Barcelona.
"Arsenal is in my heart, and that will never change. I know that this is the club whose doors will always be open to me," said C. Fabregas.
If he hadn't said that, perhaps Arsenal's attitude towards him would be different now.
From friend to foe
At the end of the 2013-14 season, not fitting in with Barca, C. Fabregas decided to leave home and return to the Premier League. He immediately targeted by Chelsea, bidding farewell with Frank Lampard.
It was difficult to imagine C. Fabregas in blue jerseys. Especially due to his ties with Arsenal - there is a long-standing and strong enmity between those teams, so moving to the blues would undoubtedly infuriate his former fans. However, just before the World Cup in Brazil, a hard-to-imagine thing became a reality - C. Fabregas became a Chelsea player.
There was much discussion about the mentioned priority right of Arsenal for their former captain. The fact - such a clause was written in the contract, but the situation remains unclear until now. At the press conference before Sunday's match, A. Wenger stated that the deal between C. Fabregas and Chelsea was agreed long before the official announcement and Arsenal was not properly informed.
Since C. Fabregas left the "Gunnerrs", they in turn acquired Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil, so the former captain was not a priority purchase for Wenger.
Meanwhile, C. Fabregas's teammate in the "Arsenal" and "Barcelona" clubs, Alex Song, said back in winter that Cesc wanted to return to his former club.
Regardless, such discussions are now just speculations. The fact is - C. Fabregas is a Chelsea player, and his club is already sniffing at the Premier League title.
"Arsenal" is perhaps the only team that still has minimal chances to create a miracle and snatch the title from Chelsea's hands. To do so, they simply must win today's London derby.
Paulius Viluckas
