It was 11th September 2003 when a scrawny 16-year-old was unveiled by Arsene Wenger as the latest in a long line of young recruits at Arsenal F.C. The kid who had spent his entire childhood at the famed La Masia academy playing alongside Lionel Messi had moved on to pastures new to continue his football education.
Little did he know that within two years he would be the man to replace club captain Patrick Viera. He shared with Viera his one and only major trophy in the Arsenal colors (the F.A. Cup), but boy did this midfield maestro take the Premier League by storm.
8 years later, Cesc Fabregàs is back at his boyhood club, proudly kissing the Barcelona badge in front of thousands of delirious blaugranes, as the biggest transfer saga since Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid concluded on Monday.
His place in Arsenal folklore is one reserved for legends. Arsenal captain at just 21, he was in the Top 5 in the assist charts in the Premiership since 2006 – Since then no other player in Europe has created more goal scoring chances (466) for his teammates. And that includes Fabregas's Spanish and now Barcelona teammates Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta.
Having played just 61% of Arsenal's games over the last 3 years, one gets the feeling that Arsenal will survive. But just as it was when Thierry Henry made the same switch in 2006, the league will be poorer for his departure.
How Fàbregas breaks the Barcelona midfield starting trio of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta is anybody's guess. Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque feels he is lower in the pecking order, yet it was he who supplied the decisive pass to Iniesta to ensure Spain lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy in Johannesburg.
Will he do the same come 19th May 2012 as the El Clásico repeats itself at the Allianz Arena in this year's Champions League final? Time will tell.
Until then, bring in the beers.
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