CESC'S PIT
CESC FABREGAS has claimed only two players were on his level by the end of his Arsenal career - and was reduced to tears after losses.
The Gunners legend, 32, revealed he was under so much pressure during his time as club captain he would go home and cry.
Fabregas said Arsenal struggled in the later years due to a lack of quality, while suggesting many had the wrong attitude.
The pressure of carrying a team made him feel "lonely" in a very dry period in the club's history - saying only Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri were on par with himself.
Fabregas told : "I was the captain, I always felt so much pressure on myself. I had to lead this team to win something. I gave everything.
"Sometimes, I used to go home after we lost and I used to cry, I used to suffer, I used to spend sleepless nights suffering.
"And then you lose a game, you’re in the bus like this destroyed and then you hear some players laughing, thinking about where they will be going out later.
"This was going on for a few years. Yeah, we were playing beautiful football and I enjoyed that side of things.
"But I was putting pressure on myself to lead, to do everything and at one point I felt kind of lonely.
"Especially in the last two or three years, I felt Robin and Samir were the only players who were at my level mentally and technically.
"It’s not an arrogant thing to say, it’s how I felt at that time."
ARSENAL NEWS LIVE: Follow for the latest Gunners news
To this day, Fabregas is frustrated by Van Persie's injury during his own final season at the club.
The Monaco man recalled: "Robin, I couldn’t count on him unfortunately for many points of the [2010-11] season because he was injured.
"He was a world class player, a leader but he couldn’t help me on the pitch for many seasons unfortunately, many parts of the year.
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
"When I first left and I saw the season he made after when he was not injured at all and at the peak of his level, I was like 'are you serious, man?'"
Meanwhile, in the same podcast episode, Fabregas has opened up about his move to Chelsea, picking them over Manchester United after Arsenal failed to show an interest.
Fabregas also spoke up about his disappointment at Arsenal failing to move for former Spain team-mate Xabi Alonso.
Xabi Alonso ‘begged everyone’ for Arsenal transfer in 2009 but Gunners messed up deal leaving pal Fabregas annoyed
Topics