Cesc Fabregas: I Am Really Proud To Be An Arsenal Player

Ollie Irish

12th, July 2010

41 Comments

By Ollie Irish

UPDATE: For all of you touchy, humourless Gooners (see comments), I took this quote directly from Press Association. Hardly a shabby source. In the last couple of minutes, PA have altered it, as have I. Their mistake, not mine. Some of you need to relaaaax.

UPDATE 2: Well, it seems a lot a lot of major news outlets reported Cesc’s tense ‘slip’ too, so what I can really do without is witless Gooners falling over themselves to type ‘fuck off cunt’. That said, several Arsenal fans who have commented do themselves credit; you know who you are. The regulars with a brain.

Thing is, I’m not sure some of you understand how damned difficult it is to take an editorial line in a non-club-specific blog – trying to please all of the people all of the time is literally impossible. I simply call it as I see it; sometimes I think your club is wrong, sometimes I think it’s right. (For club-specific blogs, this line takes care of itself; it’s ‘us against the world’, which is quite an easy place from which to form a popular view: ‘The Spuds are cunts’, no matter what’ – this tribalism is just not my thing.)

I could of course point to a large number of pro-Arsenal posts on Pies, and from a Tottenham fan who happily admits to admiring Arsenal’s football under Wenger, but it seems many of you have made up your minds without doing your research – such is the internet. But, if you’ll allow me a C-Ron moment of egotistical douchery, that’s why I’m in this position – editor of one of the most successful independent football websites in the world – and some of you (the monosyllabic idiots) are angrily thumping your keyboards at 11pm.

So, a reminder: Pies is lightweight, irreverent, something for your lunchbreak – it’s not rocket science, but that doesn’t mean you can resort to foul-mouthed abuse when commenting, unless you also have something interesting to say. Those who do abuse will not be allowed to comment again.

Cheers, Ollie.

After Spain’s 1-0 win over the Dirty Dutch in Sunday’s World Cup final, Cesc Fabregas dedicated the win to current club Arsenal. But he sounded like a man who will be joining compatriots Xavi and Andres Iniesta in Barcelona. Anyway, see what you think of his quote:

“This [World Cup win] is for the Arsenal players, the Arsenal fans, for the manager and all his staff.

“I have had lots of texts and Blackberry messages. My phone is full.

“I had a text message of congratulations from Arsene Wenger. He said I deserve it. I just think this is for everyone at Arsenal who helped me get to where I am now.

“I am really proud to be an Arsenal player.”

Posted in Arsenal, World Cup

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41 Comments

  1. Jay says:

    Can’t dispute him going to his boyhood club.

    He has been a credit to football. A Catalan of true class.

    Fabregas = Arsenal Legend.

  2. roy says:

    Need to get your quotes right, mate!
    He said – “I am very proud to be an Arsenal player”

  3. Ollie says:

    Roy – What’s your source?

  4. Mike says:

    Well this is a mis-quote. He didn’t say “I am really proud to HAVE been an Arsenal player.” He actually said “I am really proud to be an Arsenal player.” Watch the interview yourself if you want proof.

  5. Chrispy says:

    You’re a wind up merchant.

    ‘I’m really happy TO BE an Arsenal Player’ is what he actually said.

    But hey, every click counts, doesn’t it!!!

  6. JOHN says:

    LAZY CUNTS . . he never said that he said he is proud to be a arsenal player . not proud to have been

  7. Gooner1986 says:

    Read the orignal article, not the one changed by some stupid source. He said “I’m really proud to be an Arsenal player” not the rubbish that he supposedly said!

  8. Josh says:

    “All I can say is that this (World Cup victory) is for all the Arsenal players and fans, they are a world-class club,” said Fabregas after Spain’s 1-0 victory.

    “I am an Arsenal player and proud to be.”

    I don’t see a have there.

  9. Ric says:

    I can’t find the video to watch it for myself.

    The story on SkySports.com has this as the quote:

    “All I can say is that this (World Cup victory) is for all the Arsenal players and fans, they are a world-class club,” said Fabregas after Spain’s 1-0 victory.

    “I am an Arsenal player and proud to be.”

    ESPN Soccernet has this:

    Following Spain’s victory over Netherlands on Sunday, Fabregas said: “All I can say is that this World Cup victory is for all the Arsenal players and fans. They are a world-class club.

    “I had a text message of congratulations from Arsene Wenger. He said I deserve it. I just think this is for everyone at Arsenal who helped me get to where I am now. I am an Arsenal player and proud to be.”

  10. BigL says:

    I think he meant proud to have been an Arsenal player in the final, not in the past tense.

    Wenger doesn’t want to sell and we wont sell, it’s getting boring now. I wish the media would just move on.

  11. Robin says:

    What is wrong with you ? Why are you writing this crap !?? He is simply not for sale ! Don´t you follow the news !

    Asshole !

  12. Ollie says:

    My source is Press Association, which is usually correct. Not trying to be sensational.

  13. VanGooner says:

    What a shit journalism. Why would you play with his statement? Much more reliable sources than this crap (which I’m never ever reading again) reported that he said “I’m an Arsenal player, and proud to be“. So please jog on, fuck off, bon voyage and try to learn what a real journalism is.

  14. NickTheGooner says:

    thats not the right quote dipshit

  15. Ken Adams says:

    What’s the source of your “comments” Sky and everyone else reported it as him saying… “I am an Arsenal player and proud to be.”

    Get your facts right mate and stop making stuff up, Cesc is and still will be an Arsenal player come the start of the season!

  16. Donkatron says:

    Well its either your website or all the others have lost something in translation because everywhere else its stating that Cesc said “im really proud to be An arsenal player” not have been an arsenal player.

  17. Endymion says:

    It is very comon for ESL speakers to get the contextual use of the past perfect confused.

  18. j says:

    Stop shit stirring…, he said he is proud to be an arsenal player.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Please don’t be a fool and stop falsely using words and twisting them. He said ‘I am proud to be an Arsenal player’

  20. Ollie says:

    SF Gooner – Give yourself a pat on the back and then wank yourself to sleep. You just got banned!

  21. Anonymous says:

    don’t mad pls

  22. jaygooner says:

    @Ollie your qoute is accurate, “I am really proud to be an Arsenal player.” none of it is past tense, but we Gooners are touchy, probably lacking humour these days, Dunno who you follow Ollie, but if your Captain was being illegally pursued for months, and even after your Club had issued a NOT FOR SALE NO NEGOCIATION AND DO NOT COME BACK statement, the tap up continues. you might be a bit miffed? I like the fact you have ACCURATELY qouted Cesc Fabregas and allowed the debate to twist and unfold. Top man.

  23. Nick says:

    Your headline on NewNow still has the quote in past tense –need to correct the meta tags.

  24. busker rhymes says:

    http://twitpic.com/24ripk oh dear, look away arsenal fans
    *might* just be for fashion, they are fetching colours

  25. Hlebby Hater says:

    You say you took the quote directly from PA yet claim that gooners are ‘touchy’ and ‘humourless’ – implying that it was deliberate, and that contrary to your protestations, you knew very well what you were doing when you wrote it. Sad.

  26. Mike says:

    They really will let anyone write an article now won’t they. Even if they clearly know nothing. You haven’t personally researched this at all have you? You’ve just taken some quotes and edited them to get you hits. The video is easy enough to get if you look hard enough or have any genuine sources.

  27. jaygooner says:

    Blimey on you tube there is a clip of Reina tapping up Cesc during their World Cup celebrations by putting a Barca skint alunya shirt on him. Hello FIFA got enough evidence? Hello UEFA its blatant tapping up?

  28. Robin says:

    All the media crap this silly season just proves one thing. They know that Arsenal is going to win the Premiership this season. They know that the only way for that not to happen is if Fabregras leaves now !

    Wenger has finaly the Cash to strengthen and he is doing so right now ! Arsenal will not just win it this year…it will be with a nice huge margin ! 5-10 points ahead of Manure and $helskys of this word. 5 Years of patience hans come to end.

    Fabregras is going nowhere. Just soak it in and don´t cry about it.

  29. swandive says:

    Hey im not a humorless gooner, just a regular gooner, i still love ya ollie, and no harm no foul

  30. Vieira4 says:

    what worries me he said “they” are a world class club – not “we” are a world class club.

  31. caveat emptor says:

    Ease up gooners. Both versions have been widely quoted. In any case, we’ll know in a few short weeks what shirt he dons. My suspicion/hope is he remains a gunner. Bad behavior from barcelona, notwithstanding.

  32. caveat emptor says:

    Also, to soothe ruffled gooner feathers, and anger directed at this site, I would like to add that the few times I have read this blog (I mostly follow gunner-focused blogs), I have found it unbiased. In fact the first time I came across it was after the Ramsey-Shawcross incident. I was sickened by the event, and the biased coverage that followed. And pretty happy when I came across a non-arsenal blog that was not more concerned with Shawcross’ well-being. Quote pasted below:

    ————————————————————–

    I don’t really know what else to say to add to the many thousands of words that have already been written about the Shawcross/Ramsey incident, which overshadowed a terrific win for Arsenal. But three bad breaks in four years suffered by Wenger’s players, and all tackles made by limited English players on their own ground – with the home crowd almost baying for blood – against more technical non-English players is more than just a coincidence, clearly. As I said above, it’s time for the FA to act. And not just the FA. The hyperbolic media, spearheaded by Sky Sports with its gladiatorial match trailers, must also shoulder some responsibility, if only for spreading the (xenophobic) myth that Arsenal don’t like it up ‘em. As has been pointed out elsewhere, who does like it up ‘em?

    ————————————————————–

    Just trying to keep the peace :)

  33. stephen says:

    what part of not for sale is to hard for you to understand. it do not mater if csec wants to go or stay.it up arsene if csec stays or goes. as he said csec is not for sale there is no story.csec loves Arsenal fans and we love him.and as for Barcelona how they have not been done for taping up I will never no.

  34. james says:

    i think enough is enough cesc has stated he is proud and happy to remain an arsenal player for the forseable future we have him tied to a contract for 5 years and have even refused to speak to the new barca president on this matter stating the caes is closed and hes staying with us.

    But barcelona have ignored our wishes yet again they have shown that they dont have any money and any class they still insist hounding our player releasing comments to the tabloids the players themselves releasing comments during the world cup on tv and last nights stunt when in madrid barca players held cesc down and forced a barca shirt on him this should be the final straw and arsenal should now approach FIFA and even the courts to resolve this issue.

    during the world cup the hounding reached tapping up which is against fifa rules the only way you are able to do business is by contacting the right officials at the club you wish to buy from barca did this and we rejected it but they will not take no for an answer and they have instead turned to hounding the player until he hands in a transfer request using their players in the spain squad to do the dirty work trying to force cesc’ hand.

    forgive me if im wrong but does that sound like barca are doing things in the correct way through the right channels NO! they are not and arsenal should make an official complaint to FIFA barca have no mony to buy the player anyway making only 4m revenue last year to our 47m whos the big club now.

  35. […] light of yesterday’s uber-sensitive hoo-ha, I’m going to ‘plead the fifth’ on this […]

  36. ben says:

    well said ollie. I dont think i have ever come across a set of fans more unable to have a laugh at their own expense than the gunners fans. Talk about over sensitive. I would imagine its these illiterate, narrow minded and frankly retarded fans that prob sit in the stands in silence like the rest of the library, only uttering a ‘your shit’ to their own players when they miss a pass and then sing their praises when they grab that late goal against bolton. shameful really. In my experience gooner fans come in two specimens. 1. Half wit donkeys clinging on to the bergkamp days and 2. Corporate young business men who turn up in their matching coat and scarves and take pre packed sushi to the game. Both of these animals sit in the pub pretending to be a footy expert but in fact either their lacking mental faculties or faux interest limits thier debates to who looks best in this years kit. Not suprising Cesc wants to go really. Not sure i could represent that lot on the field.

  37. Jesus says:

    I have literally no idea what the entire bold bit at the top is about.

  38. Jack says:

    haha arsenal fans. what a joke. keep up the good work ollie. top blog. top man.

  39. GREG GOON says:

    Arsenal need to know that we are not going to take this behaviour, I do not oppose selling cesc if he wants to go but the way we are being treated by these Spanish idiots is disgraceful and if we continue to let them do this then we are nothing less than victims.

    And as the song goes “if you tolerate this then you children will be next”

    The only way we can let Arsenal know that we will not be happy with a sale to barca is through the correct channels.

    I will make it easy for you

    Arsenal contact FORM
    http://www.arsenal.com/supportcentre/showContact/-2?setLogin=false

    Let arsenal know we are not happy!!!

  40. Mr. Angry says:

    should have fuckin sold that arrogant prick fabregas,!

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