Former Chelsea star ‘inspired’ by Mourinho; reveals fall-out with Guardiola

Cesc Fabregas, Branislav Ivanovic

Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has admitted he has had no contact with Pep Guardiola since their time together at the Nou Camp.

The former Arsenal man spent one season under the Manchester City manager during his time in native Spain before Guardiola left on a year’s sabbatical in 2012.

ESPN reports that, when asked whether he has spoken to his former boss since his departure, the Monaco player said: “No, no, with Pep nothing at all.”

He continued: “I don’t know if the disappointment with Pep is mutual. Things happened, but I prefer not to talk about it.”

Fabregas, 33, explained how Guardiola had also been a role model for him growing up.

He added: “Pep was my idol since I was a child. It is him I have learned the most, perhaps, since I was four until now.”

 

 

Fabregas left Arsenal for boyhood club Barcelona in a £30million move in 2011, going on to score 15 goals and grab 20 assists in his debut season.

During the 2011/12 campaign, he lifted the UEFA Super Cup, the Fifa Club World Cup, the Supercopa and the Copa del Rey.

 


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Mourinho ‘a friend’ of Fabregas

Fabregas went on to claim a La Liga title and a further Supercopa with Barcelona before joining Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2014.

Cesc Fabregas: Explains Jose Mourinho departure

The World Cup and two-time European Championship winner revealed his admiration for the Portuguese manager.

“Mourinho inspired me the most when I left Barca,” he said.

“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.

“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.

“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. Perhaps I played one of my best seasons with him.”

Mourinho went on to be dismissed from Stamford Bridge in December 2015 but not before he had stormed to the 2014/15 Premier League title and a League Cup triumph with Fabregas being an integral part of his set-up.