Cesc Fabregas has been flying at Como lately, and recently took some time to reminisce on his time at Chelsea.
One of the many players to travel the path from Arsenal to Stamford Bridge, Fabregas became an unlikely club legend after five successful seasons in blue.
The Spaniard became a Premier League champion in his first season at Chelsea. Fabregas won over Jose Mourinho on his debut and remained an integral part of the side right through to their second title in 2017.
But like many ex-Gunners, Fabregas used to have a very different view of Chelsea to what he does now.
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Cesc Fabregas reveals he did not like Chelsea
It’s an unusual relationship that Arsenal and Chelsea have. Players like Ashley Cole, Willian and recently, Noni Madueke have switched from one to the other, and there’s plenty of other examples.
The Blues were Fabregas’ main rivals when he was playing at the Emirates for eight seasons.
Before becoming adored as a Chelsea player, he admits his view was quite different.
He says on CBS Sports Kickin’ It: “Yes, I disliked Chelsea very much. I always said it and all the fans they know.”
But it didn’t take long for the Spaniard’s opinion to change, where now he holds a special place in his heart for the club.
As he puts it: “After I said it was one of the best decisions I took in my career because the way I was treated there, how many trophies we won, five trophies in four and a half years.
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“The fans were outstanding with me. Outstanding. I couldn’t be more grateful. We had a great feeling connection straight away.”
Fabregas did indeed have quite the successful spell at Stamford Bridge. While he was a top-class player at Arsenal and then at Barcelona, Chelsea is where he became the Premier League legend he is known as today.
Fabregas will likely be back in the Premier League
Since taking over as manager at Serie A side Como, Fabregas has quietly built up a reputation as a top, top manager in Europe.
When he was a player, he controlled the game from the center of the pitch. Those skills have translated to the sideline seamlessly.
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Fabregas was part of the coaching staff that brought Como up from Serie B, and his first full season there saw them reach their best league finish since 1987.
There has been a lot of chat about the 38-year-old being the next great player-turned-coach, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him step into a big Premier League job in the near future.
Fabregas has been really impressed with Chelsea’s project under new ownership. You never know — a Blues reunion could be in his future.
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