Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas has claimed that he “forgot how to play football” while working under Jose Mourinho. The former Arsenal and Barcelona man joined Chelsea for £30 million in 2014 and helped the London side win both the League Cup and the Premier League during his first season.
But the playmaker has not enjoyed the same experience during his second year at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea experiencing a horrific first half of the season which saw Jose Mourinho sacked while the club sat just above the relegation zone.
Fabregas, along with with Oscar and Diego Costa, was believed by Chelsea fans to be one of the major reasons behind the side’s poor results and was accused of actively trying to have Mourinho fired by showing a negative and lacklustre attitude.
While Fabregas publicly denied any feud with Mourinho, the Portuguese boss was sacked shortly after and Fabregas was booed by Chelsea fans during their next game, a 3-1 win over Sunderland.
The player reiterated earlier this week that he remains on good terms with Mourinho and has since told Goal that it was not a bad attitude that led to his poor performances, but a lack of confidence.
“There was a moment after the Bournemouth game where I was in bed. I was so disappointed, so sad, and I said to my wife, ‘I just forgot how to play football,’” he said.
“It was hard, those two or three months from November when I had no confidence.”
Chelsea’s form since the sacking of Mourinho has seen a large turnaround in results, and while the club still sits in 10th place under interim boss Guus Hiddink, the club appears to be on the right track. Fabregas said that while he still isn’t back to his best, he is more satisfied with his performances in recent months.
“Thank god everything changed... the last three or four months I’ve been playing very well,” he said.
“The most important thing is not how low you get, it’s how you stand up to it and how strong you can be to get back to your best.
“Hopefully I can be ever better from now until the end of the season”.
With the chance of winning the league long gone for Chelsea, Fabregas added that he hopes Leicester City can see out their attempt at title glory.
“I want Leicester to win, what they’re doing is remarkable. It takes real passion and guts,” he said.
With Chelsea travelling to Bournemouth this weekend, we’re sure Fabregas will want to prove more than ever that he remembers how to do his job.
