Cesc Fàbregas

Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (Catalan: [ˈsɛsk ˈfaβɾəɣəs], Spanish: [ˈθesk ˈfaβɾeɣas]; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who played as a central midfielder. He is the head coach of Serie A club Como.

Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when he was signed by Premier League club Arsenal in September 2003. Following injuries to key midfielders in the early part of the 2004–05 season, he went on establish himself in the team. He broke several of the club's records and won the FA Cup in 2005. His performances earned him recognition, being named in the UEFA Team of the Year twice and the PFA Team of the Year twice.

After a protracted transfer saga, Fàbregas left London in August 2011 to return to Barcelona in a deal worth up to £35 million. During his three-year spell at the Camp Nou, Fàbregas played alongside Xavi and Andrés Iniesta and won a La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and two Spanish Super Cups. He returned to London in June 2014 to Arsenal's cross-town rivals Chelsea for a fee of £30 million. In four-and-a-half years at the club, he won the Premier League twice, and the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Europa League once each. He left for free to Ligue 1 club Monaco in January 2019 and retired in 2023, after one year in the Italian Serie B with Como.

Internationally, Fàbregas made his debut for the Spain national team in March 2006. He represented his country in the World Cup in 2006, 2010, and 2014, in the European Championship in 2008, 2012, and 2016, and in the Confederations Cup in 2009 and 2013. He was a key figure in Spain's European Championship victories in 2008 and 2012 and their 2010 World Cup triumph, in which he supplied the assist for Andrés Iniesta's winning goal in the final. In October 2015, Fàbregas earned his 100th cap for Spain.