Former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas has announced his decision to retire from football.
💙🔙❤ El hijo pródigo que volvió a casa.
🧬 Puro 𝑨𝑫𝑵 @FCBarcelona_es.
Fútbol ♾️.
👏 @cesc4official pic.twitter.com/Dt5DxL0lJC
— LaLiga (@LaLiga) July 1, 2023
The 36-year-old brings down the curtain on a career which included a World Cup and two European Championship wins with Spain, two Premier League titles at Chelsea and a La Liga trophy with Barcelona.
𝑳𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑵𝑫𝑨
⚽ La carrera de Cesc está llena de momentazos
🤔 ¿Con cuál te quedas? pic.twitter.com/DwlCf0oX4c
— Diario AS (@diarioas) July 1, 2023
The veteran midfielder joined Italian Serie B side Como last summer, following his exit from AS Monaco, but he has opted to end his career a year earlier than expected.
A legend says goodbye. Thank you, @cesc4official! 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/Spg3aegXRX
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 1, 2023
“It’s with great sadness that the time has come for me to hang up my playing boots,” Fabregas posted on social media.
Cesc Fàbregas assisted Andrés Iniesta's goal against the Netherlands in 2010.
Spain's one and only World Cup win. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/trmjAxrvT4
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 1, 2023
“From my first days at Barca, Arsenal, Barca again, Chelsea, Monaco and Como, I will treasure them all.
Fàbregas magic 🧙♂️#UCL pic.twitter.com/YLOQAaYjC6
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 1, 2023
“From lifting the World Cup, the Euros, to winning everything in England and Spain and nearly all the European trophies, it has been a journey that I’ll never forget.”
🚨 Cesc Fabregas anuncia su retirada del fútbol
🥹🔚 "Después de 21 temporadas jugando como profesional, ha llegado el momento de colgar las botas…"
— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) July 1, 2023
Fabregas wraps up an incredible career with a bulging trophy cabinet but his comment on European glory is a reminder of an odd statistic attached to his career.
😭 Cesc Fábregas anunció su retirada…
🇪🇸 Se nos va uno de los jugadores más importantes del fútbol español pic.twitter.com/cps3g1hrmj
— Diario AS (@diarioas) July 1, 2023
Despite playing for Barcelona and Chelsea, Fabregas never won the Champions League, and is on a short list of players with over 100 appearances in the competition, who did not win the trophy.
139 – Top 5 players with the most assists in the top five European leagues since the 2006/07 season:
220 – Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
169 – Thomas Müller 🇩🇪
139 – CESC FÀBREGAS 🇪🇸
137 – Kevin De Bruyne 🇧🇪
135 – Angel Di Maria 🇦🇷Legend. pic.twitter.com/XQf6KyL6HN
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) July 1, 2023
As per reports from Mundo Deportivo, he is expected to take on a coaching role with the Como B team, starting in the upcoming 2023/24 season.
