Cesc Fabregas on ‘special’ FA Cup, Barcelona rondos & Mourinho’s ‘winning culture’

You can listen to Cesc Fabregas share stories and insights on the Planet Premier League podcast by going to BBC Sounds.

Fabregas, who won the World Cup in 2010 with Spain and has a glut of trophies on his playing CV, still holds strong affection for the world’s oldest football cup competition, which he first won with Arsenal in 2005.

The 36-year-old Como coach also remembers how one of his former managers Jose Mourinho used to prioritise the League Cup.

And he reveals how Thierry Henry used to bed in new signings at Arsenal.

Fabregas appears on this week’s edition of the podcast, alongside former Manchester City player Nedum Onuoha, statistician Statman Dave and presenter Mark Chapman.

Fabregas, who joined Arsenal’s youth academy in 2003, just as the club were on their way to their ‘Invincible’ season, remembers how star forward Thierry Henry used to welcome new players.

In training, the squad would practice five-on-two passing drills – otherwise known as rondos – where two players in the middle attempt to retrieve the ball while the rest pass around them. For the unfamiliar, think ‘piggy in the middle’. Anyone who plays a stray pass, or loses control of the ball, takes a turn in the centre.

Fabregas says that Frenchman Henry would play, “a strong ball” to new incomers, “just to see if they could control it”.

He explains that the forward would want to, “see his level, to actually see how he handles it”.

As one might imagine, rondos also featured heavily in training sessions at Barcelona, according to Fabregas.

The 36-year-old came through the club’s famed La Masia academy and played for the Catalan club between 2011-14. This was the Barcelona of manager Pep Guardiola – who revolutionised a whole new style of possession football based on short, quick passes through various channels.

Fabregas says that, whereas in other countries where he has played rondos are seen as “just fun”, at Barcelona this drill was “so powerful”.

Of all his former Barcelona team-mates, which include Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, Fabregas reveals that Xavi was the most effective during the training exercise.

“He wouldn’t go in the middle really because he wouldn’t lose the ball,” says the 2013 La Liga champion, adding: “He knew when to play short, when to play long, when to play in the middle.”

Fabregas won 17 major trophies as a player, including a World Cup, two European Championships, two Premier League titles and one La Liga trophy.

However, he is keen to stress how important the FA Cup was for him.

Aside from the Community Shield trophy that he won with Arsenal in 2004, the 2005 FA Cup – which he claimed under Arsene Wenger – was the midfielder’s first major trophy. He triumphed in the competition again with Chelsea in 2018.

“It’s very special,” says the former Premier League star.

“Whenever we went to play around England, it was full, it was packed. Everyone wanted to beat you.”

Fabregas also says he used to motivate himself “so much more” for cup games against weaker opposition, because he understood that “you have so much to lose” and “not so much to win.”

One of Fabregas’ former clubs Chelsea qualified for the Carabao Cup final on Tuesday by thrashing Middlesbrough 6-1 in the second leg of their semi-final.

Fabregas won the League Cup with the Blues in 2015, under Portuguese manager Mourinho.

He says that his former boss always went “full on” in the competition.

“He played the best 11 in every single round and we ended up winning it against Tottenham,” Fabregas explains. “Then we ended up winning the Premier League, having a fantastic season.”

The Como coach believes that winning the League Cup – the first trophy available during the season – is important in terms of instilling a “winning culture”.