The Blues will soon have to face up to life without their long-serving skipper, but they may already have the perfect replacement in the form of their hungry Spanish maestro.
Perhaps the single biggest decision immediately facing Antonio Conte when he arrives at Chelsea this summer is who will be wearing the captain’s armband on the opening day of the season.
The Italian will have the final say on whether John Terry will remain at Stamford Bridge or not, but with the veteran defender still in the midst of a contract standoff with the club it is looking increasingly likely that Conte’s new era will need a new skipper, too.
That has huge implications – and opportunities – for senior players, none more so than Cesc Fabregas and Branislav Ivanovic. The latter is the current vice-captain and most likely successor to Terry, but it is the Spaniard who could be the perfect man to kick-start Chelsea’s new dawn.
In a sit down with Goal, Fabregas spoke about his leadership qualities and influences, explaining: “I have been playing now for 13 years, I learned from the very best.”
And he isn’t lying. Made Arsenal captain at just 21 years old, the midfielder broke into a team of serial winners and did his apprentice at Arsenal when the club were overloaded with leaders. Combine his development around The Invincibles with silverware in La Liga, the Premier League, the Champions League and World Cup and European Championship glory, and you have a player with more medals than any other at Chelsea, let alone Ivanovic.
It is the Serbian who Fabregas must leapfrog though, having been handed the vice captaincy last July by the now departed Jose Mourinho. But between improved performances on the pitch and strong words off it, Fabregas is showing once again that, despite this season’s struggles, he is a born winner and can help usher in a return to form at Stamford Bridge.
There will be no talk of transition seasons when Conte arrives, no low targets like merely claiming back a top-four place. Conte wants silverware, and so does Fabregas. “We always want to win, I don’t think starting a season thinking I am going to be fourth, third is rubbish, it is not good enough,” he says passionately.
“I don’t believe in transition and stuff like this, with certain teams, with the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, I don’t believe in transition. You have to deliver straight away and transition word is like an excuse, for me, to say maybe you know next year, next year. We will try to win [Premier League title] next year.”
His determined words will stir belief and enthusiasm in fans and players alike. He is a medal-adorned player that a deceptively young Chelsea squad can turn to for inspiration, a character that can inspire and educate the club’s clutch of UEFA Youth League-winning starlets, and someone who can guide the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the pitch and behind the scenes.
What is clear from speaking to Fabregas is how utterly determined he is to prove that this season is a pure freak for the Blues, an anomaly, and that their true level can see them secure the title once more.
And he could hardly be a more perfect totem for Chelsea to rally behind. He has learned from the best, taking over the armband from Thierry Henry back at Arsenal; He has played alongside the best, sweeping aside all comers in a Barca side featuring Lionel Messi, Andreas Iniesta and Xavi; And he even idolised the best, looking up to then Blaugrana skipper Pep Guardiola while he was still at La Masia.
Few Chelsea players have a deeper well of experience to draw upon, certainly not Ivanovic. He will go down as one of the club’s best defenders, but his body of work is too limited to his time in west London. He won just one major trophy away from Stamford Bridge – the Russian Cup with Locomotiv Moscow in 2007.
Goal.com…….
This page has been viewed 246 times
