Del Bosque plays down Fabregas incident as a 'training ground issue'

Alright, time to blow that mountain back into just a molehill.

"I didn't remove Cesc's bib. It was a minor issue. There [sic] side was outnumbered and the team was down. I looked to Xabi Alonso for support. Nothing happened. I am grateful to them. I think about everyone and they think only of themselves."

"The thing with Cesc is a training ground issue. Pique was out and that side had been weakened. We simply asked him to change his bib to even the numbers and that's it. Not to take his ball and go home. All of the players have come with us for the match and yes, I said that the coach thinks about everyone and every player thinks about themselves."

-Vicente Del Bosque, source: Inside Spanish Football

While I don't quite understand how switching Cesc and Xabi "evens" the numbers (wouldn't the non-pink bib team still be one player down because of Pique's absence?), Del Bosque has moved swiftly to deny any suggestions that the incident between him and Chelsea's newest player was anything more than a normal training ground occurrence.

That being said, journalists and observers of the open practice remain united in their assessment that Fabregas was not putting in anywhere near full effort.

During the session, a practice match was played between starters and substitutes that suggested that Del Bosque will give opportunities to those who have hardly played. Juanfran, Juan Mata, Santi Cazorla, Fernando Torres and David Villa appeared in bibs, in line to start. At one point, Del Bosque angrily took the bib from Cesc Fábregas, who was not exactly exerting himself, and handed it to Xabi Alonso instead.

-source: Sid Lowe, Guardian

And that, to me, is fairly concerning and is something that must not happen as Chelsea's latest big money signing.