Cesc Fabregas has lamented the fact that his preferred role in the Barcelona team is occupied by ‘the best player ever’.
The former Arsenal man acknowledges he faces stiff competition to even win a place in Tito Vilanova’s starting line-up, yet he feels it is slightly easier to win a spot in the national side than it is for his club.
“At Barca it is really difficult because the best player in history, Messi, plays in my position. In the Spain team there is no Leo,” declared Fabregas in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Now in his second season with the Catalans, the 25-year-old was signed by former boss Pep Guardiola, who he still has a great admiration for.
“Pep was my boyhood idol and because of him I wore the No 4 shirt. When I first came to the club as an 11-year-old he was first team captain and I’m very proud he has been my Coach.
“We do the same things with Tito as we did with Pep: training, preparation for games, physical work and tactics. The only difference is in the way of expressing ourselves, but that’s obvious.”
Fabregas went on to praise his former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and claimed he was pleasantly surprised at the level of competition on his return to Spain.
“He was a teacher to me, a parent in sport, and has given me everything, but what surprised me when I came back was that La Liga is more competitive than the Premier League.
“In England it is easier to win the title because if you lose five or six games you still have a chance because there is more competition at the top,” he explained.
