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Cesc Fabregas has revealed which coaches taught him the most during his playing career.
The former midfielder cited Arsene Wenger for teaching him patience, Jose Mourinho for instilling bravery, but credited Pep Guardiola as the coach who had the most significant influence on his career.
Fabregas, now 37, is currently in his first full season as head coach of Serie A team Como, following a long playing career in both Spain and England.
Reflecting on his time under Guardiola at Barcelona, he told ESPN: “I think, tactically, Pep is the one that I learned the most from.
“He always studied the opponent. He always knew exactly what they could do and he could give you solutions.
“And this is what I try to bring to the table for the players. They always need help to identify what’s happening on the pitch.
Cesc Fabregas: “Tactically, Pep [Guardiola] is who I learned most from. He always studied opponents, knew exactly what they could do, give solutions. This is what I try to bring for the players… Pep helped me a lot in this way to understand different things…” [via @ESPNFC]
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) October 16, 2024
“And I think Pep helped me a lot in this way to understand different things.”
Prior to his stint under Guardiola, Fabregas spent eight seasons at Arsenal, playing under Arsene Wenger.
Discussing Wenger’s influence, Fabregas said: “I think Arsene was a gentleman.
“What I learned from him the most is the patience you must have with the players.
“I know that nowadays patience doesn’t exist because coaches are fragile and we are too scared that if you lose two games, you’re out.”
He added that the pressure to produce results quickly can sometimes lead managers to favour experienced or high-profile players, even if they may not be the ones who deserve it based on current form.
Fabregas also looked back on his time under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, where he won his first Premier League title in the 2014-2015 season.
He described Mourinho as “very brave” in his decision-making.
“What I like the most about him is how he handles the dressing room.
“How he plays with the head of the players, how he knows how to identify who is in the right mental predisposition to achieve whatever the team needs in that moment.
“He’s very fast at understanding the player, what the team needs at each moment, and who can give them what he needs in order to win games.
“He’s not scared to make changes. I remember sometimes he would make three changes at half-time because he knew exactly in his head how he wanted to achieve different things in the second half.”
“He always used to tell me, go with your idea. Once you identify a problem, fix it immediately. Don’t let it pass.”