Fàbregas feels a young player reborn after just one match for Monaco

Cesc Fàbregas feels like a little kid again, invigorated by his new surroundings and excited by the new challenges faced at AS Monaco, who remain mired in the relegation zone at the halfway point of the Ligue 1 season.

“At the beginning the opportunity to come here was a surprise. I spoke to my family and we decided it was the right thing for my future. I feel like a young player with new boots, and hopefully we can achieve good things.”

The 31-year-old midfielder, with over 650 matches under his belt, admits that he was happy enough to stay and remain comfortable in his role at Chelsea, but conversations in the past few months awoke his competitive spirit.

“I was [...] comfortable where I was. In my head, even three months ago I didn’t feel I was going to move away from Chelsea. But some circumstances happened, the playing time and everything, and speaking to Vadim (Vasilyev, Monaco CEO), they convinced me about a new challenge. I’m very open-minded; I’m not scared of adapting to anything, I’ve been doing that since I was 16 and started playing professionally.”

But that doesn’t mean that leaving Chelsea was easy, as evidenced by the real emotions and tears that played out on his face as he walked off the pitch at Stamford Bridge one last time in Chelsea Blue.

“I’m not going to lie, it was a difficult moment for me. I spent 13 years in England, a lot of great moments. I started my career there, played for two top clubs, winning a lot of things, setting some records, having friends, meeting so many great people. I felt at times more English than Spanish in a way. It was a fantastic experience and obviously a very emotional moment.”

“I felt it was the right time, after 501 games in English football – leaving on a high, which is what I always wanted. It’s the best time for me to move on and find new challenges and that’s why I’m here.”

-Cesc Fàbregas; source: Guardian

Barely 48 hours after signing with the team, Fàbregas was starting in the heart of midfield for Monaco. And while they only managed a 1-1 draw with Marseille, Cesc, who signed a 3.5-year contract with the club, seems as giddy as a schoolboy for the season(s) ahead.

Best of luck to him!

(Fàbregas wasn’t eligible to play in Wednesday’s match, since it was a rescheduled game from earlier in the season when he was still a Chelsea player. Monaco drew again, 1-1, this time with Nice, to stay rooted in the bottom two of the table, three points from safety.)