Cesc Fabregas Interview - Nike CTR360 Football Boots
As part of the official Launch event for the Nike CTR360, Arsenal and Spain superstar Cesc Fabregas took to the stage and spoke at length with fellow country man and all round football guru Guillem Balague.
Cesc spoke about all things from the new boots to what he does outside of football. Speaking frankly, honestly and with a great deal of passion, Fabregas gave plenty of insight into the new CTR360 football boots, his involvement in the boot life cycle, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and plenty more. Here is just some of the highlights from the Arsenal Captain's in-depth interview...
Guillem Balague:
Two of the key characteristics of your game are control and passing. Does it help to have Nike develop the CTR360 boots that are based on your style of play?
Cesc Fabregas:
Definitely. I think now I ve been training with them for a few weeks. They feel really comfortable, and it s great that they can do some special boots for players like me that, we pass a lot the ball, with the internal part of the boot or the external part, and for the control it s really good, so we are really pleased with it.
GB: How does it help you to control the ball?
Cesc: Well, it has some new things that they have introduced in the boot. Especially, especially for when you kick the ball with the middle of the foot you don t have the tongue there, you know, and they put some things in the external part as well for the control of the boot. It makes it softer, and I think it feels really good and I m excited about playing with it.
GB: One of the fascinating things about boots is that every player in different positions use different boots. Do you think that s how it should be?
Cesc: Well, yes I think so, because every player has different characteristics of play. You can have players like Theo, you know, who is really quick, probably who will need a lighter boot. Me, I don t need that. I will always be slow. But every player is different, really.
GB: Nike is presenting, an online training programme called Nike Football+, and you ve been involved in creating some of the content around a signature move, called a 180- degree cushioned turn. Can you tell us about the move?
Cesc: Well, in midfield you need a lot of movement. You have to be asking for the ball all the time, looking for the ball, and in my position I have to be moving all the time. So as you can see, you first move the defender outside. After you come back, you ask for the ball. And in this one or two seconds that you win, you ll create the time to turn on the ball. This allows you get past your opponent because he lost those one or two seconds. After you can play your team mate in with a simple pass.
GB: Do you think the idea behind Nike Football+ is a good one where young footballers are able to insight and advice from players like yourself, Iniesta, and the Barcelona coaching staff?
Cesc :Yes, it s great, because I think if you look at professional footballers and they show you how to do things you can learn something from it, I think it s really good. I used to do that as well, you know, when I was really young. And we are happy that we can help some young talented players as well.
GB: What do you do specifically to train, and improve your touch and your control?
Cesc: At Arsenal we do a lot of drills with mannequins. You know, always one twos, one-touch, control. The boss likes it a lot, you know, because we are a team that, of course we know where every player plays but if the striker can go in midfield, the midfield can go as a striker. There s always a lot of movement, and we train a lot, yes, with the mannequins: one-twos, first touch, two-touch, but as few touches as possible.
GB: Do you use the space of the training pitch?
Cesc: Yes, we play a lot of five against two, or sometimes you play seven against three, things like these, always in small places where you don t have time to think. And it helps a lot after, when you re in the game.
GB: Because of the way you ve developed and trained as a footballer you can play in different positions in midfield and even in the attack, and you do so with Spain. Which position do you prefer?
Cesc: It is difficult. Probably the one I m playing now is where I feel most comfortable. I m still getting there, you know, to be at my best in that position. Because I think it s different, when I started at Arsenal: we were playing 4-4-2, I was one of those two in the middle so I could come very deep to get the ball and when I was young it was really good for me because I had more time from deep positions to link with other players, to move forward from deep. Now my position is higher up on the pitch, sometimes I don t touch as often as I used to touch, so I have to be patient. But I know I m in this part of the pitch where I can do dangerous things in terms of giving the final ball, and I have more time to go to dangerous positions, you know, to score a goal as well. I feel more freedom in that position.
GB: You ll be playing at Blackburn on 4 October. It s the first time you ll be using the boots in an official game. How important is it, both the touch and control, with teams that don t give you much space?
Cesc: It s vital. Because when you play against teams like Blackburn, for example, they put a lot of pressure on you, especially in midfield. They know that if they let us play we can be dangerous, and it s really difficult to play against them because they are always quick. They mark tight and if you are not quick with your feet and with your control it s going to be difficult.
GB: If you had to give an advice to somebody making a debut for their team, what one thing would you say before they stepped on the pitch?
Cesc: I would say play simple, because in this kinds of games, I think, especially in the debut, if your first three, four touches are good, even if it is two metres, if they are good you start feeling good and you feel confident. And after is when you can do, you know, if you re a winger you can do your little tricks, but the first few touches are so important because if you re making your debut and you start with the first few touches bad it effects your confidence... You can be as good as you are but your confidence will go low and it s difficult to stand up after.
GB: One player that has arrived and has made an immediate impact is Arshavin. What kind of relationship do you have with him, and what are your thoughts on him?
Cesc: Oh, very good. Very good. I think he s a special talent. It s a shame that he left late from the Russian league, but he s given another dimension to the team. Last year straight away he made a great impact and we should feel lucky that we have him in our team.
GB: How about Thomas Vermaelen? He s also a new addition and he has given something, maybe people were criticising before, the weakness at the back. Has that improved?
Cesc: I m a big fan of him. He s been doing so well. It s difficult in this position, especially from centre back because you will always be compared to some other players, or if you know that your defence is one of your weaknesses then you have to do even better to be loved by the people, and I think the fans clicked straight away with him since his first game. He scored a goal, played amazing, his confidence is high at the moment. And with the ball he s really good. He s like one more midfielder. Those days, to have a centre back that can play, you know, these balls on the ground, between the lines, and past players, for players like me in midfield it s really good because it gives you so much time and so much space on the ball. It s really good.
GB: When you arrived at Arsenal it was a team of established players. What do you remember about your arrival, and what did you learn?
Cesc: I don t know. I have always said I was very, very lucky. I think when I arrived I was probably the only boy at 16 who was training with the first team every day, and I was training with Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Kanu, Vieira. They were all World Cup champions, European champions, they won Premier Leagues. They were 28, they had experiences, they were talking to me, they were helping me. Now maybe, you know, because we were too young, we are too young, it is a little bit more difficult for them, but at the same time because we are very young and the boss gives a lot of opportunities to young players - it s easier for them to play now than it was before. But I must say, I have always said that I was really lucky, because to play with players like them, you know, it s unbelievable and I will always remember that.
GB: When the season started, I suppose, everybody puts individual targets and collective targets in their mind. Is that something that ArsÈne Wenger helps you with? Does he talk to you as an individual and says, Okay, I want from you this, this, this, and I want the team to do this, this, that ?
Cesc: Yes, definitely. He goes probably one by one for all the players after we do a team meeting about what he expects from us as a team. But if he talks to you personally about... He always tells me I need to be better defensively, and I know I have a lot to learn, and a lot to give to the team defensively, because I know it s one of the points I have to be stronger if I want to be one midfielder who is really complete. And after, of course, you have to keep working on my final pass. Sometimes, as well, to give more support, like this, and every day try to be a little bit better.
GB: Is there one thing you really want to win?
Cesc: I think the Premier League is a tournament that I really want to win. It s so special. I ve been here now six seasons with the first team, and it would be nice to win it, because it s a special competition and being champions of England would be one of the best days of my life, definitely..
GB: Is there a stadium that it s like, We re going to such a stadium - it ll be great because of the noise ?
Cesc: Anfield is a very, very special pitch. I think San Siro, when we played there, I loved it - I fell in love with that stadium. And there s also Bernabeu; it was a special game as well, when I played with the Catalan national team. When I was 16, I played in the Barcelona stadium, really good as well. I don t know - there are some great stadiums around the world.
GB: We were talking about Wenger and the advice that he was giving you. If you had to remember one advice by a manager or a player, or even a person what do you remember?
Cesc: I don t know. My parents, they have always, since I was very little, they have always been there for me. I ve been very lucky as well, my friends. I ve got the same friends since I m three years old. You grow up with them, you can talk to them about everything and they help you in the difficult moments. You go out with them and they don t start talking about football; they just talk about whatever. Or if I played badly, like the other day against Fulham, What a rubbish game . It s not they re going to come out, You played so well today , because they are my friends now. They are so honest and I like people like that. Yes, it s good.
GB: And when your parents let you go, you were 16 and you came here. Was there a piece of advice that they said to you that you kept with you?
Cesc: Well, they just said, Always remember where you come from, remember who you are, give your best. You want to come here to be the best, so just try to be the best and give everything for it , because they have always showed me that, whatever you choose in life, you have to go for it, and you have to give your best, and that s what you try to do.
GB: Finally Cesc, finish this sentence: If I didn t play football I would…
Cesc: I would be studying, probably, with the rest of my friends.
Fabregas is set to wear the Nike CTR360 football boots for the first time in a competitive match in the Premier League game between Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers at the Emirates Stadium on October 4th.
