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Arsenal v Barcelona, Champions League last-16 first leg

Cesc Fábregas in the mood to give Arsenal a parting gift

A young man left Barcelona at 16, was well looked after, and would now like to return, while appearing to acknowledge the need to repay a debt before his departure




  • Cesc-F-bregas-of-Arsenal-007.jpg
    Arsenal's talisman Cesc Fábregas can leave with his head held high if he returns to Barcelona this summer. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Hit hard and true inside Victor Valdés's right-hand post, the penalty kick was the last act of Cesc Fábregas's English season. On a night when he and his team-mates had spent the opening 20 minutes as mere spectators, no more able to prevent Barcelona producing a mesmerising exhibition of the game's most incisive skills than the millions watching on television, that 84th-minute goal secured a 2-2 draw and salvaged Arsenal's pride.
    Fábregas had gone into the first leg of the 2010 Champions League quarter-final carrying a leg injury, but had insisted on playing against his old club. In the last minute of the first half, a caution meant that he would be suspended for the return fixture. With the assistance of Theo Walcott, a dynamic 66th-minute substitute, he turned a 2-0 deficit back to parity, but he was again a spectator, and this time a helpless one, as Barcelona triumphed 4-1 in the Camp Nou.
    Complex emotions were involved. Fábregas had been open about his ambition to return one day to the Catalan club, even though in 2006, with six years left on his contract, Arsenal had agreed to extend his deal by a further five years, with an option for three more. Last June the North London club turned down Barcelona's offer of €35m (£29.2m), but there was a suspicion that Arsène Wenger had made a deal with his captain not unlike the one Sir Alex Ferguson worked out with a similarly inclined Cristiano Ronaldo. Stay one more season and win something big with us, Wenger may have said, and then you can go home.
    On Wednesday evening the relationship between the 23-year-old Fábregas and FC Barcelona will come under further scrutiny. Given that the Arsenal captain lined up alongside a clutch of Barcelona players to collect a World Cup winner's medal last July, yet another set of emotional ties has been added to the encounter. And now there is the strong feeling, despite a statement in recent days from Raul Sanllehi, Barcelona's director of football, that this summer Fábregas will make his long anticipated return to the club where he spent the years between the ages of 10 and 16.
    "Cesc is a great Catalan player," Sanllehi said, preparing to play a dead bat. "He played for us as a boy and he will be welcome back at Barcelona for the Champions League match. Right now, everything is dead regarding a transfer."
    In the same interview, Sanllehi expressed incredulity at the size of the fee paid by Chelsea for another Spaniard, Fernando Torres, last month. "Barcelona would not make that signing," he said. "We would not even consider it." But given that the club showed no reluctance to pay €40m for David Villa last summer, Sanllehi's words may have been intended either to turn down the temperature of a potential bidding war, or to deflect disruptive speculation before the start of an important tie.
    Since Arsenal are now Manchester United's only remaining credible rivals for the Premier League title, are still in the FA and European Cups, and have a League Cup final on the horizon, they are seemingly well placed to give their captain the chance to win a major club trophy for the first time since the FA Cup victory against Manchester United in May 2005, the month he turned 18.
    No doubt Fábregas's protestations of affection for Arsenal are every bit as real as his attachment to Barcelona. Such a division of even the deepest emotions is not impossible. Do you love your mother more than your father? Your cat more than your dog? In this case, a young man left home at 16, was well looked after, and would now like to return, while appearing to acknowledge the need to repay a debt before his departure.
    The way things have gone for Arsenal this season, he is in a strong position to leave with his head held high. The maturing partnership of Alex Song and Jack Wilshere at the base of midfield allows Fábregas to position himself further forward, where he can use his vision and touch to the most damaging effect. Robin van Persie's return to fitness has given his designs a focal point, the flowering of Samir Nasri has taken away some of the burden of being the main goalscorer from midfield, and Theo Walcott, eager and improving, has become a regular co-conspirator.
    While discussing Fábregas on Tuesday, Wenger stuck to his usual line. "He will approach it as he does every game, with a huge desire to win," he said. "Cesc is an exceptional footballer but he is as well a winner. He wants to win in every single game and when he doesn't achieve that he is hugely frustrated, so he will be even more in that frame of mind. 'What can I do to win? What can I do to help the team win?' That's how he will be."
    But those complex emotions are still in play, those hints of fratricide and divided loyalties that add an underlay of dramatic tension to an already enticing contest.
 
Arsenal v Barcelona, Champions League last-16 first leg

Cesc Fábregas in the mood to give Arsenal a parting gift

A young man left Barcelona at 16, was well looked after, and would now like to return, while appearing to acknowledge the need to repay a debt before his departure




  • Cesc-F-bregas-of-Arsenal-007.jpg
    Arsenal's talisman Cesc Fábregas can leave with his head held high if he returns to Barcelona this summer. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Hit hard and true inside Victor Valdés's right-hand post, the penalty kick was the last act of Cesc Fábregas's English season. On a night when he and his team-mates had spent the opening 20 minutes as mere spectators, no more able to prevent Barcelona producing a mesmerising exhibition of the game's most incisive skills than the millions watching on television, that 84th-minute goal secured a 2-2 draw and salvaged Arsenal's pride.
    Fábregas had gone into the first leg of the 2010 Champions League quarter-final carrying a leg injury, but had insisted on playing against his old club. In the last minute of the first half, a caution meant that he would be suspended for the return fixture. With the assistance of Theo Walcott, a dynamic 66th-minute substitute, he turned a 2-0 deficit back to parity, but he was again a spectator, and this time a helpless one, as Barcelona triumphed 4-1 in the Camp Nou.
    Complex emotions were involved. Fábregas had been open about his ambition to return one day to the Catalan club, even though in 2006, with six years left on his contract, Arsenal had agreed to extend his deal by a further five years, with an option for three more. Last June the North London club turned down Barcelona's offer of €35m (£29.2m), but there was a suspicion that Arsène Wenger had made a deal with his captain not unlike the one Sir Alex Ferguson worked out with a similarly inclined Cristiano Ronaldo. Stay one more season and win something big with us, Wenger may have said, and then you can go home.
    On Wednesday evening the relationship between the 23-year-old Fábregas and FC Barcelona will come under further scrutiny. Given that the Arsenal captain lined up alongside a clutch of Barcelona players to collect a World Cup winner's medal last July, yet another set of emotional ties has been added to the encounter. And now there is the strong feeling, despite a statement in recent days from Raul Sanllehi, Barcelona's director of football, that this summer Fábregas will make his long anticipated return to the club where he spent the years between the ages of 10 and 16.
    "Cesc is a great Catalan player," Sanllehi said, preparing to play a dead bat. "He played for us as a boy and he will be welcome back at Barcelona for the Champions League match. Right now, everything is dead regarding a transfer."
    In the same interview, Sanllehi expressed incredulity at the size of the fee paid by Chelsea for another Spaniard, Fernando Torres, last month. "Barcelona would not make that signing," he said. "We would not even consider it." But given that the club showed no reluctance to pay €40m for David Villa last summer, Sanllehi's words may have been intended either to turn down the temperature of a potential bidding war, or to deflect disruptive speculation before the start of an important tie.
    Since Arsenal are now Manchester United's only remaining credible rivals for the Premier League title, are still in the FA and European Cups, and have a League Cup final on the horizon, they are seemingly well placed to give their captain the chance to win a major club trophy for the first time since the FA Cup victory against Manchester United in May 2005, the month he turned 18.
    No doubt Fábregas's protestations of affection for Arsenal are every bit as real as his attachment to Barcelona. Such a division of even the deepest emotions is not impossible. Do you love your mother more than your father? Your cat more than your dog? In this case, a young man left home at 16, was well looked after, and would now like to return, while appearing to acknowledge the need to repay a debt before his departure.
    The way things have gone for Arsenal this season, he is in a strong position to leave with his head held high. The maturing partnership of Alex Song and Jack Wilshere at the base of midfield allows Fábregas to position himself further forward, where he can use his vision and touch to the most damaging effect. Robin van Persie's return to fitness has given his designs a focal point, the flowering of Samir Nasri has taken away some of the burden of being the main goalscorer from midfield, and Theo Walcott, eager and improving, has become a regular co-conspirator.
    While discussing Fábregas on Tuesday, Wenger stuck to his usual line. "He will approach it as he does every game, with a huge desire to win," he said. "Cesc is an exceptional footballer but he is as well a winner. He wants to win in every single game and when he doesn't achieve that he is hugely frustrated, so he will be even more in that frame of mind. 'What can I do to win? What can I do to help the team win?' That's how he will be."
    But those complex emotions are still in play, those hints of fratricide and divided loyalties that add an underlay of dramatic tension to an already enticing contest.
 
Arsenal v Barcelona, Champions League last-16 first leg, 7.45pm Wednesday 16 February

Arsène Wenger rejects Barcelona's moral claim to Cesc Fábregas

• Laporta says repatriating Arsenal captain would be 'justice'
• Wenger draws parallel to Barcelona's signing of Messi



  • Jamie Jackson
  • The Guardian, Wednesday 16 February 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Cesc-F-bregas-joined-Arse-007.jpg
    Cesc Fábregas joined Arsenal from Barcelona in 2003, to the Catalan club's growing annoyance. Photograph: Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport Arsène Wenger has claimed Barcelona should have "no bitterness" over the manner in which Arsenal signed Cesc Fábregas as a 16-year-old after the Catalan club's former president claimed repatriating the midfielder was a matter of "justice".
    Before tonight's eagerly anticipated first leg in the Champions League last 16, Joan Laporta, who was Barcelona's president until last year and attempted to sign Fábregas last summer, accused Arsenal of "fishing" for their best talent before hinting that Barça will again try to sign the Gunners captain in the next transfer window. "It's an issue of justice, we now want to recover them," he said.
    Wenger defended the way Fábregas was signed for nothing in 2003. Arsenal were later reported to have paid around £1m in compensation.
    "It's part of the game," Wenger said. "Where do they get their players? Where does [Lionel] Messi come from? Barcelona? [Newell's Old Boys in Argentina] At what age did they take him? Twelve years old. There's no reason for any bitterness because we did nothing illegal. Everything was legal. We did not force a gun somewhere. We respected the rules. They could come and take our players, we accept that as well."
    Laporta earlier said: "The English come here to do fishing. They came to fish for Gerard Piqué [the former Manchester United defender who has since returned to Barcelona] and Cesc."
    But Wenger said: "They take their players from all over the world. Don't expect them only to get players from Catalonia. And you must remember that every young player in Catalonia wants to play for Barcelona. Not every young player in London wants to play for Arsenal. Some want to play for Tottenham, some for West Ham, some for Chelsea and some for QPR. In Barcelona they don't have the same choice."
    Wenger, though, was full of praise for the ability of the current Barça side. "Barcelona are certainly the best team in the world at the moment," he said. "They're the best club team I've ever faced. And any club team at the top level is better than every national team. I would not deny this Barcelona are one of the best teams ever but my team wants to show we can beat them. I believe personally that we can do it. Barcelona are certainly the team to beat if you want to be the best. If we knock Barcelona out, we straightaway have a good chance to win the tournament. It is until now the toughest test for us in the European Cup."
    Samir Nasri should start for Arsenal as the French playmaker has been in training since last week following a hamstring injury while Wojciech Szczesny, the 20-year-old Polish goalkeeper, makes his Champions League debut.
    Wenger said: "It's a big game for him because you think that once or twice he may have to do something tomorrow. He's not fazed by anything, which is very important at the top level. He doesn't give you the feeling that he's nervous in goal."
 
Arsenal v Barcelona, Champions League last-16 first leg, 7.45pm Wednesday 16 February

Arsène Wenger rejects Barcelona's moral claim to Cesc Fábregas

• Laporta says repatriating Arsenal captain would be 'justice'
• Wenger draws parallel to Barcelona's signing of Messi



  • Jamie Jackson
  • The Guardian, Wednesday 16 February 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Cesc-F-bregas-joined-Arse-007.jpg
    Cesc Fábregas joined Arsenal from Barcelona in 2003, to the Catalan club's growing annoyance. Photograph: Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport Arsène Wenger has claimed Barcelona should have "no bitterness" over the manner in which Arsenal signed Cesc Fábregas as a 16-year-old after the Catalan club's former president claimed repatriating the midfielder was a matter of "justice".
    Before tonight's eagerly anticipated first leg in the Champions League last 16, Joan Laporta, who was Barcelona's president until last year and attempted to sign Fábregas last summer, accused Arsenal of "fishing" for their best talent before hinting that Barça will again try to sign the Gunners captain in the next transfer window. "It's an issue of justice, we now want to recover them," he said.
    Wenger defended the way Fábregas was signed for nothing in 2003. Arsenal were later reported to have paid around £1m in compensation.
    "It's part of the game," Wenger said. "Where do they get their players? Where does [Lionel] Messi come from? Barcelona? [Newell's Old Boys in Argentina] At what age did they take him? Twelve years old. There's no reason for any bitterness because we did nothing illegal. Everything was legal. We did not force a gun somewhere. We respected the rules. They could come and take our players, we accept that as well."
    Laporta earlier said: "The English come here to do fishing. They came to fish for Gerard Piqué [the former Manchester United defender who has since returned to Barcelona] and Cesc."
    But Wenger said: "They take their players from all over the world. Don't expect them only to get players from Catalonia. And you must remember that every young player in Catalonia wants to play for Barcelona. Not every young player in London wants to play for Arsenal. Some want to play for Tottenham, some for West Ham, some for Chelsea and some for QPR. In Barcelona they don't have the same choice."
    Wenger, though, was full of praise for the ability of the current Barça side. "Barcelona are certainly the best team in the world at the moment," he said. "They're the best club team I've ever faced. And any club team at the top level is better than every national team. I would not deny this Barcelona are one of the best teams ever but my team wants to show we can beat them. I believe personally that we can do it. Barcelona are certainly the team to beat if you want to be the best. If we knock Barcelona out, we straightaway have a good chance to win the tournament. It is until now the toughest test for us in the European Cup."
    Samir Nasri should start for Arsenal as the French playmaker has been in training since last week following a hamstring injury while Wojciech Szczesny, the 20-year-old Polish goalkeeper, makes his Champions League debut.
    Wenger said: "It's a big game for him because you think that once or twice he may have to do something tomorrow. He's not fazed by anything, which is very important at the top level. He doesn't give you the feeling that he's nervous in goal."
 

Arsenal v Barcelona, Champions League last-16 first leg, 7.45pm Wednesday 16 February

Arsène Wenger warns Barcelona that Arsenal are a better side this year

The Frenchman has a clear message for his Barcelona counterpart: your stars are about to face the 'real' Arsenal



  • Jamie Jackson
  • The Guardian, Wednesday 16 February 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Ars-ne-Wenger-facing-of-A-007.jpg
    Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, will be glad to see the back of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. Photograph: R Solana/Cordon/Press Association Images Arsène Wenger has a clear message for Barcelona as he plots a way past Lionel Messi, David Villa, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta et al in the Champions League last 16: Pep Guardiola's star turns are about to face the "real" Arsenal and not the side of inferior personnel and ability who were handed a 6-3 aggregate drubbing in the quarter-finals of last season's competition.
    On Wednesday night at the Emirates and at the Camp Nou in the return leg in three weeks Wenger will discover if this hypothesis is correct. He can call on Arsenal's outstanding performer this season as Samir Nasri, who has not played since 30 January due to a hamstring problem, has been training since last week and should start.
    "Last year was not the real Arsenal," Wenger said. "In the first game we lost [Andrey] Arshavin after 30 minutes and [William] Gallas at half-time, so we had already made two changes. We also lost [Cesc] Fábregas in the last minute so [we] went into the second game with three key players not fit."
    Goals from Theo Walcott and a late Fábregas penalty answered a Zlatan Ibrahimovic double to leave the tie in the balance at 2-2 after the opening leg at the Emirates. But a glance at the team sent out by Wenger in Spain in early April shows Manuel Almunia, Mikaël Silvestre, Tomas Rosicky, Abou Diaby and Nicklas Bendtner all started. This year they have either left the club or merely warm the bench when Wenger has everyone fit.
    In that second leg Bendtner opened the scoring after 18 minutes but Messi soon equalised and the Argentinian went on to deliver a masterclass that featured all four of the Barcelona goals that dumped Arsenal out.
    "In the first half of the home game we were a little bit spectators and a bit inhibited," Wenger said. "I believe today confidence-wise and mentally we are a completely different team.
    "We have made our way forward by challenging in the Premier League, we are in all competitions and, if you look at the predictions pre-season, nobody in England predicted we would be today where we are. We have a good opportunity to show we're no longer the team that played against them last year. We have the belief and a strong togetherness to show [this]."
    Guardiola is missing only the injured Carles Puyol, Barcelona's captain and totem, while Wenger is without the suspended Bacary Sagna, plus Diaby (calf) and Thomas Vermaelen (achilles). Despite this Wenger claims there are no excuses for his players and the match, against the team he calls the best he has managed against, will reveal how far the Arsenal project has come.
    "I can say we are in an ideal condition to face them. We cannot complain, we have the belief, the confidence, the players available: 90% in February," he said. "That was not the case last year. We are in an ideal position to face them."
    Asked if last year's defeat aided the team's development, Wenger added: "Certainly, because we came out of the second game with a lot of frustrations [as] we missed the turning point of the game when we were 1-0 up over there. We are stronger because this team has attitude, focus every day.
    "Since I am a manager for a long time I have not seen many teams with such consistent focus every day to improve. The main reason we have improved is because of the attitude of the players. We want to win this competition and we know we face the super-favourite. But the only way to do it is to knock them out."
    Wenger dismissed any notion that Arsenal may try to suffocate Barcelona in the manner that José Mourinho's Internazionale did in the second leg of last year's semi-final. Barcelona won the match 1-0, with a late goal from Gerard Piqué, and completed 555 passes compared with the visitors' 67 but were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate .
    "They won the first game [3-1 at San Siro] so in the second were able to hang on," Wenger said of Inter, who went on to beat Bayern Munich in the final. "Their players are all 30 to 33 and they grow up in Italy where they're educated to play this kind of game, which is very tactical. We're Arsenal. We can only survive with our qualities as individuals and as a team.
    "If you want us to play long balls and long throw-ins tomorrow it would be worse than playing our own game. Of course we want to nullify their strengths. Usually we have 60% of the ball and our opponents 40%, or 70% and 30%. Tomorrow it might be a little bit the other way. When we defend we have to defend with calmness and determination."
 
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