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Topics: Cesc Fabregas, Lamine Yamal, Spain, Barcelona
Tom Marshall-Bailey
Topics: Cesc Fabregas, Lamine Yamal, Spain, Barcelona
Cesc Fabregas knows a thing or two when it comes to observing young midfield talent at Barcelona having graduated through the club's famous La Masia academy at the start of his football career.
The temptation would be to pick Ballon d'Or contender Lamine Yamal as the most exciting player to watch in modern-day football but Como manager Fabregas went against the grain when quizzed on who his current favourite is.
And while Yamal has naturally stolen the headlines in a Barca side who won La Liga and the Copa del Rey as well as reaching the Champions League semi-finals, Fabregas believes another of their talented crop of players deserves his share of the limelight.
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“My favourite footballer to watch now is probably Pedri because he’s got great mobility, he’s got great courage when he’s got the ball," he told SPORTbible during an appearance for Gatorade's 5v5 tournament ahead of the Champions League final in Munich.
“His game intelligence is fantastic, he’s a team player, he has resilience, he is a winner.
“When they are losing or when they concede a goal, you can see he is the first one to take the ball and take the game by the scruff of the neck so in my opinion, top player and top personality. I really enjoy watching him play.”
Fabregas is on record previously as saying he does not believe comparing Pedri and his midfield partner Gavi to legendary figures like Xavi and Iniesta will affect the young duo and is tipping both players to play a starring role in years to come at his former club.
"The pressure is on them, because they play very well," he told Cadena Ser.
"They play well, and the pressure always appears. I can't deny that your cables get crossed dreaming of making that Iniesta-Xavi duo, that is something that is on the minds of Barcelona fans.
"They are young, but they already have experience. Why not put more pressure on them? I don't think they even notice it."
Fabregas' praise for Pedri was fitting given his role as a Gatorade ambassador for the annual 5v5 tournament in which teams of 14–16-year-olds from around the world compete in local grassroots tournaments, before being whittled down to the final stages. In the girls’ final Mexico beat Canada 5-1 and in the boys' final, Brazil came out on top 7-5 against the Canadians once more.
The tournament is part of Gatorade’s drive to support grassroots football and the prize for the winners was tickets to see PSG's dominant Champions League final win as well as being crowned winners of the tournament by some of the biggest football legends, including Fabregas himself.
“This is the perfect age to compete, but to enjoy, and to follow your dreams,” he said.
"Between 14 and 16 is the last phase before everything starts to get together. It’s important for them to understand that you can compete also by having fun, and fighting for your teammates, and having that solidarity – when you take the ego out and the selfishness out and you are fighting for something collectively, I think the dream becomes much stronger.”