Born Francesc "Cesc" Fabregas Soler in the Spanish port town of Arenys de Mar, Fabregas came from a modest background. Francesc Fabregas Soler was born on May 4, 1987, in the pretty port of Arenys de Mar, a town more famous for its turnip festival than its footballers. He was the first child of Nuria Soler, a caterer, who is now the director of a sales company and Francesc Fabregas Sr, a bricklayer, who now runs his own construction business. At the young age of eight, he was already training hard to become a professional footballer. While still in his teens, he was signed by the Pemier League club,` Arsenal. He also plays midfielder for the Spanish national team.
Having made the first team at a young age, the teenager went on to break several of the club's records as he began to earn a reputation of a technically-gifted player, excellent passer of the ball and key component of the Arsenal lineup. While Gilberto Silva provides a more defensive presence, Fàbregas functions primarily as a playmaker. In international football, the Spaniard's national career began at the youth level, representing the Under-17 side at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship.
At the age of just 16 years, he left his homeland and moved to England with Arsenal, in a £2.25m transfer. Aged just 16 years and 177 days, the midfielder became Arsenal's youngest first-team player ever, when he made his debut on October 23rd, 2003, in a League Cup match at home, which the Gunners won on penalties after drawing 1-1.
Early Life
Professional soccer player. Born Francesc "Cesc" Fabregas Soler on May 4, 1987, in the Spanish port town of Arenys de Mar. Fabregas came from a modest background; his mother Nuria worked as a caterer for a time, while father Francesc Fabregas, Sr. kept his family fed as a construction worker. Soccer was also a large part of his father's life, and young Cesc's early lessons on the game came from him. His dad continued to play soccer even after he had his son, and Cesc often attended his father's games. When it came for Cesc to take the field, it was Francesca, Sr. who served as his son's first coach.
From an early age, Cesc demonstrated the mental toughness and dedication to the game that set him apart as a true professional. At the age of 8, with dreams of playing professionally very much on his mind, Cesc was already training hard. He was also becoming careful about his diet, opting for fish and vegetables over fast food. His skills progressed immensely as a teenager, and in the summer of 2003 Fabregas showcased talent in the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, where the playmaker led Spain to a second-place finish, captured the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, and received the Golden Boot award for becoming the tournament's top scorer.
First Professional Contract
Just a few months later, Cesc Fabregas signed his first professional contract with the Premier League club, Arsenal. For Fabregas, the jump to England, leaving his home, and leaving Spain, was a big one. But Arsenal, a club that under the direction of manager Arsene Wenger has cultivated a reputation for developing young players, was more than willing to work with the midfielder and lessen the chance for any homesickness. He moved into a home in Barnet, Hertfordshire, that was run by a woman who looked after some of Arsenal's younger players. There, Fabregas lived a fairly simple life, with days dominated by practice time and English lessons. "I had a stereo, some clothes, a computer, a tiny television, which was hooked up to my PlayStation," he later recalled. "I'd think about my friends back home, who were out clubbing and having a good time and there I was, all by myself, in front of the computer, wondering what the hell I was doing. It was tough, but it was a choice I made."
Recognition
It wasn't long before Fabregas saw the benefits of his social sacrifices. In October 2003, he made his debut with Arsenal, giving him the distinction of becoming the youngest player ever to step onto the field for the club. That same year, he helped Arsenal take home the Premier League championship. In 2005, with Fabregas getting more playing time, Arsenal repeated its 2003 title turn and finished as the Premier League's top team. A year later, Fabregas again distinguished himself on soccer's biggest stage, when he led Spain on a comeback win over Tunisia, giving his home country an exciting victory and earning the midfielder praise from former Argentina captain, Diego Maradona. "Cesc gave Spain the final ball that it was lacking in the first half," Maradona told a Spanish television station.
While talks have swirled about Fabregas' possible return to his home country, the playmaker has dismissed the rumors and expressed his happiness with Arsenal. Much of the talk has been fueled by the Spanish clubs themselves, in particular Barcelona. Club officials have expressed confidence that at some point Fabregas, who was named the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2008, will play for them.
For that to happen, though, they'll have to wait - or amass the cash to buy the player's rights from his current club. In 2006, Fabregas signed a new deal with Arsenal that commits him to the franchise through 2013.
0 comments:
Post a Comment