Sabadell
—  Municipality  —
The business district, the "Eix Macià".
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Sabadell
Sabadell Location in Spain
Coordinates: 41°32′54.93″N 2°6′27″E / 41.5485917°N 2.1075°E / 41.5485917; 2.1075Coordinates: 41°32′54.93″N 2°6′27″E / 41.5485917°N 2.1075°E / 41.5485917; 2.1075
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Catalonia
Province	Barcelona
Comarca	Vallès Occidental
Commonwealth	Ripoll-Riu Sec
Government
• Mayor	Manuel Bustos Garrido (2007) (PSC)
Area
• Total	37.89 km2 (14.63 sq mi)
Elevation	190 m (620 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	206,493
• Density	5,400/km2 (14,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Sabadellenc, sabadellenca
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	08200 a 08208, 08805 and 08805
Official language(s)	Catalan
Website	Official website

Sabadell (Catalan pronunciation: [səβəˈðeʎ]) is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona. Sabadell is located 190 metres above sea level and is the co-capital of the comarca.

Sabadell pioneered the Industrial Revolution in Catalonia with its textile mills, together with its archrival Terrassa. Thus, in the mid 19th century, it became the most important wool city in Spain, being nicknamed the “Catalan Manchester”. Even today many mills from that period can still be seen, with most of them having been refurbished as residential buildings or other services. Nowadays Sabadell is basically a commercial and industrial city: there are no significant agricultural activities.

Sabadell is an important communications point. Two motorways run beside the city: the C-58 (from Barcelona to Manresa) and the AP-7 (from France and Girona to Tarragona, Valencia and Andalusia), and some roads link Sabadell with nearby cities and towns: Terrassa, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Castellar del Vallès, Granollers, Barberà del Vallès, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Rubí, Sentmenat and Molins de Rei. A railroad line crosses the city (the Rodalies Barcelona line from Barcelona to Lleida) and another one terminates in the city (the FGC line from Barcelona to Sabadell via Sant Cugat del Vallès). Sabadell has an airport.

History[link]

In Roman times a little village called Arragone existed near where the church of La Salut now stands. This grew into the town called Arraona or Arrahona in the Middle Ages. Another little village was built just on the other side of the river. This second village, called Sabadell, located on a plain, began to grow and its population was about 600 people (152 houses) in 1378. Sabadell was enclosed by a wall, but due to population growth in the 16th century, some houses were built outside the wall. At that time the first textile industries appeared in the town, devoted especially to woolen clothing. The woolen industry grew over the next centuries, and in 1800 the town's population was about 2000 people. The 19th century brought two important developments to the town: in 1856 the railroad arrived, and in 1877 the town was dubbed a “city”. In the 1897 census the population of the city was 23,044 people. The city had become the most important producer of woolen clothing in Spain, and these clothes achieved worldwide fame.

The modernisme movement (related to Art Nouveau) had an important influence in the architecture of the city in the early 20th century and distinctive buildings such as the modernista Hotel Suís (1902), Despatx Lluch (1908) and the Caixa d'Estalvis de Sabadell (1915), as well as the Torre de l'Aigua (1918) and the Mercat Central (1930), were built during the first half of the century.

In the early 20th century and alongside Terrassa, Sabadell was the textile city par excellence, being the driving force of a territory poor in natural resources. The population was multiplied by eight, its industry boosted, particularly textiles and metals, and its economy was modernized in the service sector. Due to this industrial activity, Sabadell received massive waves of immigration in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s leading to uncontrolled urban expansion and the creation of some new neighborhoods such as Ca n'Oriac and Torre-Romeu.

The growth of industry and population favored the emergence of an important workers’ movement, and Catalanist, socialist and anarchist parties were very influential up until the upheavals of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The victory of the Fascist faction in the war was a step backwards for the city, but in the fifties industry recovered and grew once more. Industries needed workers, and many people came from Andalusia, Murcia, Extremadura, Castile and other parts of Spain to work in the textile and metal industry. Again, a new workers’ and Catalanist movement emerged, this time against Francisco Franco’s regime and with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. Sabadell was the host of some sessions of the Assemblea de Catalunya, a multi-party organization that brought together communists, socialists, Catalan nationalists, Catholics and others against the Franco regime. The 1973 oil crisis and Franco's death in 1975 meant an important change in Spain and, of course, in Sabadell. The economic crisis compelled the city to diversify its economic activities. New commercial and leisure areas (the Eix Macià) appeared next to the traditional industries, leading to important economic development for the city.

Main sights[link]

• little church of Sant Nicolau (11th century) is a vestige of the town of Arraona
• Casa Duran is a traditional rural house (16th century) placed in the middle of the city
• Hotel Suís (Swiss Hotel, 1902)
• Caixa d'Estalvis (1915)
• Torre de l'Aigua (water tower, 1918)
• Mercat Central (Central Market, 1930)
• Castle of Can Feu (1816)

Geography[link]

Sabadell is located in the middle of the comarca named Vallès Occidental, approximately 20 km from Barcelona. It borders (clockwise, starting from the north) with Castellar del Vallès, Sentmenat, Polinyà, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Barberà del Vallès, Badia del Vallès, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Sant Quirze del Vallès and Terrassa.

The city covers an area of 37.79 km² and its population density is 5,337.57 hab/km² as of 2007. The altitude is 190 metres. ^[1]

Sports[link]

Plaça de Sant Roc in Sabadell

During the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Sabadell was one of the cities where the football competition took place. The matches were played in the Nova Creu Alta stadium, which is also home to one of the most significant of the city’s clubs: Centre d'Esports Sabadell. This local team, currently in the Liga Adelante (Second Division), has played 14 seasons in the Primera División (First Division), once in the UEFA Cup and has even reached the final of the Copa del Rey.

Other major sports clubs are Club Natació Sabadell (Waterpolo and Swimming Club), with more than 30,000 members, OAR Gràcia Sabadell (Handball), currently playing in the First National Division (Group C) of the Spanish Handball League, the Unió Excursionista de Sabadell - UES (Hikers Club), with almost 3,000 associates, and two basketball teams, the Sabadell Bàsquet and Sant Nicolau, both of them currently playing at EBA League, the Forth Division of the Spanish Basketball League.

Torre de l'Aigua at night

Institutions[link]

• Acadèmia de Belles Arts de Sabadell, Fundació Privada (http://www.fbellesarts.org)
• Cambra de Comerç de Sabadell (Chamber of Commerce, http://www.cambrasabadell.org)
• Agrupació Astronòmica de Sabadell (Astronomy Association, http://www.astrosabadell.org )
• Banc de Sabadell (http://www.grupobancosabadell.com/en)
• Caixa d'Estalvis de Sabadell (http://web.caixasabadell.com )
• Centre d'Esports Sabadell (Football Team, www.cesabadell.cat)
• Fundació Ars
• Club Natació Sabadell (Swimming Club)
• Ràdio Sabadell 94.6 fm (Radio Station)
• Sabadell Opera
• Orquestra Simfonica Del VallÈs

People[link]

• Francesc Trabal: Catalan-language journalist, avant garde writer and humorist.
• Joan Oliver: Catalan-language poet and playwright, also known as Pere Quart.
• Marc Gené: F1 driver.
• David Meca: professional swimmer.
• Sergio Dalma: pop singer.
• Ferran Casablancas: textile businessman and father of John Casablancas, creator of Elite Model Management, whose son is Julian Casablancas, vocals of The Strokes.
• Pascu Gallego: guitar-drums-bass master
• Aschwin Wildeboer: swimmer.
• Olaf Wildeboer: swimmer.
• Mireia Gubianas: actress.
• Bernat Quintana: Actor in El Cor de la Ciutat, Max.
• Xavier Oriach: painter
• Gabriel Morvay: Hungarian-Polish painter, who lived here and a square was named after him (Plaça de Gabriel Morvay)
• Jonathan Martínez Parera: mortal kombat contestant
• Sergio Busquets (born 1988), footballer
• Moisés Hurtado (born 1981), footballer
• Miguel Ángel Lozano (born 1978), footballer
• Oleguer Presas (born 1980), footballer
• Alberto Edjogo (born 1984), footballer (naturalized Equatoguinean)
• Juvenal Edjogo (born 1979), footballer (naturalized Equatoguinean)
• Óscar García Junyent (born 1973), former footballer
• Roger García Junyent (born 1976), former footballer
• Dani Pedrosa (born 1985), rider of Moto GP
• Kilian Jornet Burgada (born 1987), mountain runner
• Cristian Tello (born 1991), footballer

See also[link]

• Transport in Sabadell
• Sabadell Metro
• List of municipalities in Barcelona

References[link]

• Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).

External links[link]

• The Ajuntament (Town Hall) web site
• Information about Sabadell (Catalan)
• Vilaweb local edition (online news) (Catalan)
• Aeroport de Sabadell (Sabadell airport)

v t e Municipalities of Vallès Occidental Badia del Vallès Barberà del Vallès Castellar del Vallès Castellbisbal Cerdanyola del Vallès Gallifa Matadepera Montcada i Reixac Palau-solità i Plegamans Polinyà Rellinars Ripollet Rubí Sabadell Sant Cugat del Vallès Sant Llorenç Savall Sant Quirze del Vallès Santa Perpètua de Mogoda Sentmenat Terrassa Ullastrell Vacarisses Viladecavalls

Cesc Fàbregas

Fàbregas in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Francesc Fàbregas Soler[1]
Date of birth	(1987-05-04) 4 May 1987 (age 25)[1]
Place of birth	Arenys de Mar, Spain
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Barcelona
Number	4
Youth career
1995–1997	Mataró
1997–2003	Barcelona
2003	Arsenal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2011	Arsenal	212	(35)
2011–	Barcelona	28	(9)
National team‡
2002–2003	Spain U16	8	(0)
2003–2004	Spain U17	14	(7)
2005	Spain U20	5	(0)
2004–2005	Spain U21	12	(8)
2006–	Spain	63	(8)
2004–	Catalonia	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:01 6 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 01:22, 2 March 2012 (UTC)

Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈsɛsk ˈfaβɾəɣəs]; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.

Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16. Following injuries to key midfielders in the 2004–05 season, he went on to establish himself as Arsenal's starting central midfielder, playmaker, and captain. He broke several of the club's records in the process, earning a reputation as one of the best young players for his position. In 2011, he returned to Barcelona for an initial fee of £29m (€34m) with a further £4m (€5m) in variables.

In international football, the Spaniard's national career began when he represented the Under-17 side at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland. As a result of his club performances, he was called up to the senior squad in 2006. He has played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup, helping Spain to become eventual winners in the two most recent tournaments.

Early years[link]

Fàbregas was born in Arenys de Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia^[2][3] to Francesc Fàbregas, Sr., who runs a property company, and Núria Soler, the owner of a pastry company. Fàbregas has supported FC Barcelona since childhood and went to his first match when he was nine months old with his grandfather.^[4] He began his club football career with CE Mataró, before being signed for Barcelona's La Masia youth academy aged 10 in 1997.^[5] His first coach, Señor Blai, reportedly did not select Fàbregas for matches against Barcelona in an attempt to hide him from their scouts.^[6] This tactic, however, was unable to withstand Barcelona for long, and Mataró gave in and allowed Fàbregas to train with Barcelona one day per week. Eventually Fàbregas joined Barcelona's academy full time. His initial training was as a defensive midfielder playing alongside notable names such as Gerard Piqué and Lionel Messi. Although he was a prolific scorer, sometimes scoring even more than 30 goals in a season for the club's youth teams, he did not manage to play a first team game at the Camp Nou.^[7] During his time at Barcelona's youth academy, Fàbregas idolised Barcelona's then-captain and number four Josep Guardiola, who would later give Fàbregas his shirt as consolation when Fàbregas' parents divorced.^[8]

Club career[link]

Arsenal[link]

Adapting to England[link]

Fàbregas (left) in a game against Sheffield United in 2006

Sensing that he would have limited opportunities at Barcelona,^[9] Fàbregas joined Arsenal in their Academy,^[10] signing for the London club on 11 September 2003.^[3] Initially, he found life difficult in England's capital but soon struck a friendship with Spanish-speaking team-mate Philippe Senderos, who helped him settle down.^[11] As a 16-year-old, Fàbregas did not contemplate breaking into the first team immediately but looked up to senior players like Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva, while concentrating on training and learning the English language.^[11] He nevertheless made his debut for Arsenal not long after, on 23 October 2003, in a League Cup tie at home to Rotherham United. In doing so he became Arsenal's youngest ever first team player, aged 16 years and 177 days.^[12] He then became the youngest goalscorer in Arsenal's history in a later round of the League Cup, scoring in a 5–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[13] Although Arsenal went on to win the league unbeaten in the 2003–04 season,^[14] Fàbregas was not awarded a winner's medal because he did not play a single league game.^[15]

It was not until the start of the 2004–05 season that the Spaniard started making first team appearances in matches outside the League Cup. His first match of the season was against Manchester United in the FA Community Shield. Following an injury to Vieira, Fàbregas stepped in and made four consecutive Premier League starts. He was praised for his performances in those games, even claiming a goal against Blackburn Rovers in a 3–0 victory, and becoming Arsenal's youngest ever goalscorer in a league game.^[16][17] With further injuries to Edu and Gilberto Silva, he received more playing time in all competitions.^[2][9] He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in September 2004,^[10] which committed his long-term future to the club.^[18] In the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, he became the second-youngest goalscorer in the competition's history after scoring the third goal against Rosenborg in a 5–1 win.^[19] He concluded his season by winning his first honours with Arsenal when he was in the starting eleven that defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup Final.^[20]

Making the starting eleven[link]

After the departure of Vieira to Juventus, Fàbregas was given the Frenchman's number 4 shirt and featured regularly in the Arsenal central midfield alongside Gilberto Silva. He made 49 appearances in all competitions during the 2005–06 season.^[15] Despite his young age, his performances came under greater scrutiny due to his increased involvement in the first team. Further, as Fàbregas possessed a smaller frame and played with less aggression than Vieira, there were initially doubts over his ability to fill in the void left by the Frenchman.^[21] Nevertheless, Fàbregas asserted his own style of play and impressed pundits in the Champions League against Real Madrid and Juventus.^[22][23][24] In the latter, he scored Arsenal's first goal and set up Thierry Henry for the second,^[22] at the same time proving that he could compete against tough, hard-tackling midfielders like Vieira.^[24] He then played in the Final against his former club Barcelona, but Arsenal were defeated 2–1,^[25] completing a trophyless 2005–06 campaign for Arsenal.

Fàbregas celebrates a goal with his Arsenal team-mates

Fàbregas' increase in exposure drew transfer speculation during the summer; Real Madrid expressed a desire to sign the Spaniard despite his long-term contract with Arsenal,^[26] but Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger stated that Arsenal would not listen to any offers.^[27] In September 2006, with six years left on his deal, Arsenal offered a new five-year deal (with an option to extend by a further three years) to the midfielder, which he signed on 19 October 2006.^[28] While the contract was unusually long, Fàbregas cited Arsenal's playing style and Wenger as reasons for his long-term commitment to the club.^[29][30]

Fàbregas was appointed captain of the team during the 2008–09 season

The 2006–07 season was a learning experience for the young Arsenal squad and Fàbregas. The club again failed to secure any major honours and were defeated by city rivals Chelsea in the League Cup Final.^[31] However, Fàbregas emerged as one of the key creative players for the team, playing in every single league game.^[15][32] He kickstarted Arsenal's 2006–07 UEFA Champions League campaign when he scored a brace in a 3–0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in a qualifier match.^[33] In the Premier League, he notched up 13 assists, which was the second-highest total in the league.^[15][32] He ended the season with several individual honours, including the Golden Boy award, presented by the Italian paper TuttoSport, based on a poll of leading writers across Europe.^[34] He was also named in the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year,^[35] and named FA Premier League Player of the Month for January 2007.^[36] Additionally, he was nominated for both PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year, although both awards went to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.^[37] In June 2007, he was named Arsenal's Player of the Season, taking in 60% of the votes.^[38]

The 2007–08 season began with much uncertainty for Arsenal. First, David Dein, the club's vice-chairman, left amidst allegations of internal strife, followed by the departure of the club's all-time top goalscorer and captain, Thierry Henry, who signed for Barcelona. There was also speculation over Wenger's future with the club.^[39] Fàbregas knew that he would become the most important player for Arsenal, but stated he was ready for the challenge.^[40] He started the season well, chalking up goals and assists,^[15] and website soccernet attributed the early success of Arsenal to the young Spaniard.^[41] His start to the season also earned him the O₂ Player of the Month award from Arsenal fans for August, September and October,^[42] as well as the Premier League Player of the Month for September.^[43] With Arsenal leading the league table until March, Fàbregas was equally instrumental in the club's 2007–08 Champions League campaign; in the return leg against Milan, the midfielder scored late in the game to send Arsenal into the quarter-finals.^[44] Though Arsenal ended the season trophyless,^[45] Fàbregas amassed several personal awards. On 11 April 2008, Fàbregas was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards for the second year running;^[46] he was later crowned the winner of the latter, and named in the PFA Team of the Year. He was also named the 2007–08 Arsenal.com Player of the Season.^[47]

Captaincy[link]

Fàbregas as captain during the 2008–09 Champions League semi-final

On 24 November 2008, 14 league games into the 2008–09 season, Fàbregas was named as the successor to William Gallas as club captain.^[48][49] However, just as Arsenal were getting back into the title race after a poor start to the season, the Spaniard was ruled out for four months after sustaining a knee injury against Liverpool.^[50] The Gunners eventually finished the season without any silverware, coming in fourth in the league and being knocked out at the semi-finals of the 2008–09 Champions League campaign.^[51][52] In tandem with Arsenal's policy to groom its young players, the team that Fàbregas led into the new season consisted mostly of the same young nucleus as before, with the likes of Nicklas Bendtner, Gaël Clichy, Abou Diaby, Denílson, Samir Nasri, Alexandre Song, and Theo Walcott in tow.

Fàbregas in a game against rivals Tottenham in November 2010

In the opening league game of 2009–10 season, Fàbregas scored a brace and managed two assists in Arsenal's 6–1 away win against Everton.^[53] Arsenal went on to secure qualification for the 2009–10 Champions League campaign by beating Celtic over two legs, but their early momentum to the season was disrupted by consecutive league game losses to Manchester United and Manchester City. The team bounced back strongly after this setback, and with Fàbregas being prolific in scoring and setting up his teammates, it went unbeaten in the next 13 games. Despite suffering four league losses even before mid-season approached, Arsenal managed to lead the league standings after 22 games. On 31 March 2010, in the Champions League first leg of the quarter-final against Barcelona, Fàbregas suffered a leg fracture before scoring the equalising goal in the game which ended 2–2.^[54] Arsenal, who were four points behind league leaders Manchester United, were deprived of their captain for the remaining six league games of the season;^[54] they were subsequently eliminated by Barcelona in the Champions League, and fell out of the league title race. Fàbregas was later named to the PFA Team of the Year.^[55]

Fàbregas tries to subdue an argument between future teammate Busquets and Arsenal's Van Persie.

Before the start of the 2010–11 season, there was once again intense media speculation about the Spaniard's future, and in June 2010, a €35 million bid from Barcelona was rejected.^[56][57][58] The 2010–11 season turned out to be an extremely competitive one in the Premier League; even though Arsenal had lost five games before mid-season, they were jostling for pole position with Manchester United and Manchester City.^[59] Going into late February, Arsenal were still in contention for the quadruple, but within a span of two weeks they lost in the League Cup final, were eliminated by Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, and defeated in the FA Cup quarter-final.^[60] Although Fàbregas did not play in the League Cup Final, it was his misplaced backheel pass during the second leg of the Champions League game against Barcelona that allowed them to level the aggregate score. Arsenal remained in contention for the league title until a series of draws in the final third of the season caused them to fall too far behind league leaders Manchester United; they ended the season fourth. The following season was once again marked by uncertainty. Barcelona made several bids for Fàbregas, while Nasri, Arsenal's star performer the previous campaign, was courted by Manchester City.

Barcelona[link]

On 15 August 2011, Barcelona signed Fàbregas for an initial fee of £29 million (€34 million) with a further £4 million (€5 million) in variables,^[61] ending one of the most protracted transfer sagas in recent times.^[62] Fàbregas joined a team that had won three La Liga titles in a row and two Champions League titles in three years, and one that featured the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, and David Villa. He made his debut in the second leg of the Supercopa de España, coming on as a substitute against Real Madrid. Barcelona won the tie 3–2 and 5–4 on aggregate.^[63] He scored his first goal in a 2–0 win against FC Porto as Barcelona won the 2011 UEFA Super Cup,^[64] and his first league goal on his league debut against Villarreal CF.

International career[link]

Youth team[link]

Although he features regularly for the Spain national football team, Fàbregas' international career began at youth level. At the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Finland, he finished as top scorer of the tournament despite playing in midfield, and was voted Player of the Tournament.^[7] Spain finished runners-up in the tournament to Brazil.^[65] Fàbregas was next involved in the 2004 UEFA U-17 European Championship, where Spain also finished runners-up.^[66] He was named the Golden Player of the tournament by FIFA.^[66]

Senior team[link]

After emerging as one of Arsenal's key players in only his second season at the club, it did not take long for Fàbregas to be called up to the senior squad. Noting his impressive performances in Arsenal's 2006 Champions League campaign, Spain coach Luis Aragonés named the teenager in the team for a friendly against Ivory Coast.^[67] In that game, Fàbregas became the youngest player capped for Spain in 70 years, beating Sergio Ramos' record.^[2] He received favourable reviews for his début, and was involved in the build-up to Spain's first goal in the 3–2 victory over the Ivorians.^[2][68]

2006 World Cup[link]

On 15 May 2006, Fàbregas was selected for the Spanish 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. During the tournament, he came on as a second-half substitute in Spain's first two group matches, contributing an assist to striker Fernando Torres in their 3–1 victory against Tunisia.^[69] He then started alongside Spain's reserve players (including then-Arsenal teammate José Antonio Reyes) in Spain's third group match against Saudi Arabia.^[70] He earned a starting role in Spain's first knockout-stage match against France, in place of Marcos Senna, but Spain lost 3–1.^[71] Fàbregas also became the youngest player in Spanish football history to participate in a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Luis García after 77 minutes in the 4–0 victory against Ukraine on 13 June 2006; he was then 19 years and 41 days old.^[72] He was later nominated for the Gillette Young Player of the World Cup, but Germany's Lukas Podolski won the award.^[73]

UEFA Euro 2008[link]

Fàbregas celebrating Spain's Euro 2008 championship

In UEFA Euro 2008, Fàbregas was issued with squad number 10, rather than 18 which he had previously held.^[74] Despite featuring mostly as a substitute, the midfielder made a considerable impact in Spain's campaign. He scored his first international goal in that competition in Spain's 4–1 win over Russia and also had an assist in that game.^[75] Spain won all three of their group games and met Italy in the quarter-finals. In that match, Fàbregas scored the winning penalty in the penalty shoot-out after the teams remained deadlocked 0–0 after extra time.^[76] In the semi-finals, Spain defeated Russia 3–0 with Fàbregas providing two assists.^[75] The midfielder made the starting eleven in the Final against Germany where Spain prevailed 1–0; this was Spain's first major title since 1964.^[77] For his efforts, Fàbregas was named in the Team of the Tournament, a 23-man squad selected by the UEFA Technical Team.^[75]

Confederations Cup 2009[link]

After missing out for several months due to his injury, Fàbregas regained his place as a regular in Vicente del Bosque's squad. In June, he was named in the team for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored his second international goal in a 5–0 win against New Zealand in the competition's group stage.^[78] In the semi-finals against the United States (which Fàbregas started), Spain suffered a shock 2–0 loss, and its 15-game winning streak came to an end.^[79]

2010 World Cup[link]

Fàbregas was selected as a part of del Bosque's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[80] With del Bosque preferring a starting midfield of Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, Fàbregas did not start in any of Spain's games in the competition. He featured as a substitute in four of their seven matches, in which Spain lost their opening game before winning the next six en route to the final. In the Final itself, Fàbregas set up the extra-time winner for Iniesta to win Spain the World Cup for the first time in their history.^[81]

International goals[link]

Scores and results list. Spain's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	10 June 2008	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Russia	4–1	4–1	UEFA Euro 2008
2.	14 June 2009	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa	New Zealand	4–0	5–0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
3.	9 September 2009	Estadio Romano, Mérida, Spain	Estonia	1–0	3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.	10 October 2009	Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia	Armenia	1–0	2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.	18 November 2009	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–1	5–1	Friendly
6.	8 June 2010	Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain	Poland	4–0	6–0	Friendly
7.	2 September 2011	AFG Arena, St Gallen, Switzerland	Chile	2–2	3–2	Friendly
8.	2 September 2011	AFG Arena, St Gallen, Switzerland	Chile	3–2	3–2	Friendly

Style of play[link]

Arsenal[link]

Fàbregas and Anderson of Manchester United in a 2007–08 game

Originally brought to Arsenal as a youth to slowly develop via the League Cup, Fàbregas was unexpectedly deployed as Arsenal's starting central midfielder following injuries to fellow midfielders Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Edu during the 2004–05 season. While Vieira served as his role model and mentor,^[82] he styled his game after his childhood hero and compatriot Josep Guardiola.^[11] Because he was of a different mould from his Arsenal predecessors who played in the same position,^[11][21] this led to criticisms of his lightweight frame and less aggressive style of play,^[21][24] with former teammate Ashley Cole criticising the Spaniard as "an unproven featherweight" in his autobiography.^[83]

However, it did not take long for Fàbregas to become one of the most coveted and celebrated young talents in the game with his success at Arsenal. Functioning mostly as a playmaker and renowned for his passing range, he was described as the general of Arsenal's first team, bringing vision, creativity, and an innate understanding of timing and space to Arsenal's intricate passing game, displaying maturity that belied his age.^{[2][3][7][9][38][40][84][85]} He was the main creative force when he was at Arsenal, as exemplified by his 16 assists in all competitions in the 2006–07 season.^[15] Between 2006–07 and 2010–11, Fàbregas created the most chances in the top-division leagues of England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.^[86]

At Arsenal, Fàbregas also often assumed responsibility for set pieces, taking corners, free kicks and penalties. By his own admission, scoring was a weaker part of his game in his first few seasons at Arsenal; wasteful finishing also being symptomatic of the larger problem surrounding Arsenal in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons.^[84] This changed initially in the 2007–08 season when he scored 11 goals in his first 16 games, and Arsenal manager Wenger claimed that the Spaniard's previous inability to score was down to a mental state, and even compared the Spaniard to Michel Platini, a French midfielder renowned for scoring.^[87][88] There were also concerns raised over the large number of games Fàbregas was playing for club and country at such a young age,^[67][89] but while he initially avoided long spells on the sidelines, he played significantly fewer games due to injury in his last three seasons with Arsenal.

Statistics[link]

Statistics accurate as of 26 May 2012^[15]

^[91]

Honours[link]

Fàbregas with Spain's Prime Minister Rodríguez Zapatero, and UK's Prime Minister David Cameron

Arsenal[link]

Winner

• FA Cup (1): 2005
• FA Community Shield (1): 2004

Runner-up

• UEFA Champions League: 2005–06
• Premier League: 2004–05
• Football League Cup: 2006–07, 2010–11
• FA Community Shield: 2005

Barcelona[link]

Winner

• Copa del Rey (1): 2011–12
• Supercopa de España (1): 2011
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2011

Runner-up

• La Liga: 2011–12

International[link]

Winner

• FIFA World Cup: 2010
• UEFA European Championship: 2008

Runner-up

• FIFA U-17 World Championship: 2003
• UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship: 2004

Third place

• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2009

Individual[link]

• FIFA U-17 World Championship Golden Shoe: 2003
• FIFA U-17 World Championship Golden Ball: 2003
• UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Golden Player: 2004
• Bravo Award: 2006
• Golden Boy: 2006
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2008
• Premier League Player of the Month: January 2007, September 2007
• ESM Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2009–10
• PFA Young Player of the Year: 2007–08
• PFA Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2009–10
• UEFA Team of the Tournament: 2008

Decorations[link]

• Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011^[92]

Other projects[link]

Fàbregas starred in his own one-time only television programme, called "The Cesc Fàbregas Show: Nike Live", that aired on 19 May 2008. The programme was sponsored by Nike and was shown on Sky Sports. The show featured Fàbregas in several sketches with Arsenal teammates like Philippe Senderos and Nicklas Bendtner, as well as coach Arsène Wenger, Fàbregas' parents and Little Britain star Matt Lucas.^[93]

Fàbregas is also an Honorary Patron of the campaign against racism in football and society, Show Racism the Red Card.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Cesc Fàbregas

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cesc Fàbregas

• Official website
• FC Barcelona profile
• BDFutbol profile
• Transfermarkt profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Cesc Fàbregas career stats at Soccerbase
• 2010 FIFA World Cup profile
• Cesc Fàbregas at National-Football-Teams.com
• Cesc Fàbregas – FIFA competition record
• Cesc Fàbregas – UEFA competition record
• Cesc Fàbregas on Facebook
• Cesc Fàbregas on Twitter