“Cesc Fabregas’s ‘dribble’ was a one-two. He used to come short to receive the ball, attract pressure, offload a pass with the outside of his foot, run into space and ask for it back. … Whenever Fabregas talks about the game, it is patently clear he has thought deeply about it for his entire life. Not just the tactical side of it, but the skill and technique that go into every single action on the pitch. Questions don’t need to be probing and he offers forthright and detailed responses. You come away from his press conferences feeling you have learned something, thankful for the depth. In a football culture as developed and tactically-minded as Italy, you’d expect this to be welcome and to some extent it is. A new generation of Italian coaches and match analysts study Fabregas. They take ideas from him and find inspiration. …”
NY Times/The Athletic