Cesc Fabregas reveals sadness at having ‘no relationship at all’ with ‘my idol’ Pep Guardiola after their Barcelona troubles… but says he’s still close to ‘inspiring’ friend Jose Mourinho
- Cesc Fabregas said he has no relationship ‘at all’ with Pep Guardiola these days
- He said ‘things happened’ at Barcelona after Guardiola brought him back in 2011
- The former Arsenal midfielder, 33, said Jose Mourinho ‘inspired’ him at Chelsea
- Fabregas said Mourinho is still a ‘friend’, who helped him through difficult times
Cesc Fabregas has revealed he has no relationship with his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, but maintains a close friendship with the Manchester City manager’s bitter rival Jose Mourinho.
One of the Premier League’s hottest midfield properties when he left Arsenal in 2011 to rejoin his boyhood club, Fabregas has admitted that things went badly for him during his one season under Guardiola, who left Barca at the end of that season.
‘No (relationship now), no, with Pep nothing at all,’ Fabregas told Alacarta, via Marca.
Cesc Fabregas (left) said he has no relationship ‘at all’ with Pep Guardiola (right) these days
The Monaco midfielder, 33, admitted his ‘disappointment’ with Guardiola, who was his idol
In contrast, Fabregas said he still considers Jose Mourinho (right) a ‘friend’ and an inspiration
‘I don’t know if the disappointment with Pep is mutual. Things happened, but I prefer not to talk about it.
‘Pep was my idol since I was a child. It is him I have learned the most (from), perhaps, since I was four until now.’
Fabregas made over 150 appearances in his four seasons at Barca, helping the side become LaLiga champions the season after Guardiola left the Nou Camp.
In his one season with Guardiola, Fabregas hit the ground running, scoring in each of his first four league appearances. He was then sidelined with injury and despite contributing on a regular basis when he returned, fell out of favour.
Things became even more heated after Guardiola appeared to shove Fabregas in the back of the neck during Barcelona’s 5-1 defeat of Valencia in February 2012.
After that incident, Fabregas spent a decent part of the remainder of the season on the bench or dropped from the matchday squad.
He returned to the Premier League in 2015 after being signed by then Chelsea boss Mourinho.
Fabregas was effusive about his ongoing relationship with the current Tottenham Hotspur manager, calling him a ‘friend’, in stark contrast to Guardiola.
‘Mourinho inspired me the most when I left Barca,’ he said.
Fabregas (right) said ‘things happened’ with Guardiola (left) that he didn’t want to talk about
After Guardiola left Barca in 2012, Fabregas (right) helped the team win LaLiga the next season
‘He told me that we had had our issues on the pitch when he was at Chelsea and I was at Arsenal and then when he was coaching at Real Madrid and I was at Barcelona, but that for him, it all ended there. We turned the page.’
The relationship paid dividends on the pitch as Fabregas made almost 200 appearances for the Blues, providing 57 assists.
He was an integral part of Mourinho’s second Chelsea spell that delivered a Premier League title – Mourinho’s third with the club – and the League Cup. Fabregas won the Premier League once more and the FA Cup during his time at Chelsea.
Fabregas said Mourinho helped him get back to his best during ‘a difficult time in my career’
Fabregas said he played some of his best football at Chelsea, winning the league title twice
‘He told me about his project. I had to go where I thought I would do best, the decision was mine and it didn’t depend on what people said,’ Fabregas said.
‘I prioritised the professional [aspect], and today I still write to him and I consider him a friend.
‘He helped me a lot at a difficult time in my career and perhaps I played one of my best seasons with him.’
Fabregas, now 33, is now in the final stages of his career at Monaco, having also won the 2010 World Cup and 2008 and 2012 European Championship with Spain.
