For months Barcelona players and officials have targeted Arsenal captain and former Barcelona protege Cesc Fabregas. Not only does this tapping-up break FIFA regulation, they deem it unnecessary to do anything about it – perhaps scared that such a limp organisation can’t challenge one of the games greats.
It has not only happened to Arsenal, it also happened to United over the course of Cristiano Ronaldo’s spell with them.
Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Alex Hleb and Ashley Cole.. just a few of the Arsenal players who have been tapped up in the past.
It is impossible to get every piece of proof together as I really don’t have that much time… Mirror Sport did a decent job of giving you the general idea and I have include their work below… and will add to it as the saga rumbles on.
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19/02/2011: Messi - “I think that in the end Cesc will do what he feels like doing, the same with Barcelona, I am certain he wants to come to Barcelona because he has realised this in the only club where he can win.”
Feb 2011 – Been pretty quiet over the past few months as Barcelona have had money troubles and Cesc seems more committed than ever to Arsenal. However, After Arsenal defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the Emirates, it picked up again.
25/07/2010: Andres Iniesta – “It would be brilliant if Arsenal’s hero could lift the title as captain during his last season.”
24/07/2010: David Villa – “I am not the Barcelona coach, nor the person responsible for reinforcements, but personally I will do the maximum to get Cesc here,he wants to play here and it will be quite normal if Arsenal finally do a deal. That would be great. A player of his ability will only increase our power. He’ll help Xavi and Andres Iniesta – and I will score more goals with him in the side.”
FIFA also ran the article on their very own website before taking it down. Hypocrites. Click for larger view…
Source: arseblog.oleole.com
21/07/2010: Xavi comments – Claimed that Cesc was only ‘on loan’ for a season from Barcelona.
——- All sourced from Mirror Football
All the Presidents’ men
It’s not just the players, of course: Barcelona’s outgoing President , incoming President and even failed Presidential candidate have all got in on the act.
Pep Guardiola
The manager has been suspiciously quiet on the subject of Cesc Fabregas – probably because he was too busy sneaking around in South Africa meeting up with the Arsenal skipper in person to speak to the press.
Sergio Busquets
The latest midfield turkey to vote for this particular turkey did so today, although he at least had the decency to admit that Fab was an Arsenal player before expressing his desire to see him quit the Emirates.
Andreas Iniesta
If you thought Xavi’s partner in crime had been a bit quiet on this most pressing of issues then fear not: Iniesta was merely biding his time. When he did eventually break his silence, it was worth waiting for. Apparently he would (drum roll please…) love Fabregas to come to Barca .
The BBC’s World Cup pundits clearly hadn’t a clue who Pedro was when he took Fernando Torres’ starting spot for Spain, but the Barca forward clearly knows a thing or two about English football. Why, look: here he is spouting the controversial opinion that Cesc would be Fab at Barca . Fancy!
Carlos Puyol
Not content with starring in heavy metal rockumentary Anvilxxx, Barca defender Puyol also has a nice sideline in fortune telling, predicting way back in May that Cesc will join me at Barcelona . Just in case the message wasn’t clear enough, he followed that up by insisting Fabregas would be perfect for Barca . Really, Carlos? Why hasn’t anyone said?
Gerard Pique
Next up with the hard-sell was central defender Pique, who initially bellowed Fabregas will find it ‘impossible’ to turn down Barcelona before turning the screw at Spain’s World Cup celebration party by claiming Cesc is dreaming of Barca .
Xavi (source Mirror Football)
Quite why one half of Barcelona’s dynamic midfield duo would want extra competition for his place is unclear, but Xavi has nonetheless been one of the most prolific Cesc wooers. His opening gambit of I’d love Cesc Fabregas to join Barcelona was delivered at the end of last season, and soon followed by this cocksure claim made during the World Cup finals: ‘It’s clear Fabregas will come to Barcelona’ . His piece de resistance was thie biologically suspect statement that Cesc has ‘ Barcelona DNA in his blood ‘.
Lionel Messi (source Mirror football)
The Argentinean wizard was the first to break ranks, going on the record as early as April 4 to say Fabregas will join Barca – it’s in his blood . He didn’t stop there, though: during the World Cup finals, Messi not only revealed that playing with Cesc at Barcelona again would be ‘special’ , but he also copped to ‘tapping up’ Fabregas by sending him text messages advocating a move. Messi’s latest (but surely not last) public display of affection came earlier this week when he said that, yes, he would be delighted if Cesc came to Barcelona
Arsenal News 24/7
Slowly but surely we’re starting to see a bit of pushback from the English press on this. It’s been WAY too slow, of course, but there are some journo’s now covering the who kerfuffle for what it is – tapping up. Thank God for small favors, eh?
As for FIFA, I have to wonder if they got a phone call from Mister Gazidis that went something like this:
FIFA: Hello? This is Sepp Blatter. How can I help you?
IG: Sepp, this is Ivan Gazidis from Arsenal FC. We have a problem.
FIFA: Oh nooooeees! What can possibly be wrong, my South African / American / English friend who represents one of the finest footballing clubs in all the world?
IG: Stop trying to blow smoke up my arse, Blatter. You know damn well why I am calling. You had to be expecting this contact.
FIFA: Well…I…
IG: How much crack have you been smoking lately, Sepp?
FIFA: Excuse me? I never would…
IG: Stop. Just stop. We’ve prepared a full dossier on Barcelona’s tapping up of our Captain, Francesc Fabregas. And the very first page of our presentation now includes the official FIFA website, which only today ran an article quoting Xavi publicly stating that Arsenal “only have Cesc on loan til next season.” Ergo, FIFA are complicit in the tapping up of Cesc Fabregas at this point.
FIFA: We never!
IG: Our first stop with this presentation will NOT be the FIFA offices. No, our first stop will be the Court of Arbitration for Sport. And FIFA, along with Barcelona will be defendants.
FIFA: You would not dare!
IG: The FedEx package is already addressed to the Court. It’s sitting on my desk. Included with our summary presentation are the FIFA guidelines governing tapping up, which are quite clear.
FIFA: Isn’t there some way…
IG: Ah. Good. You see the dilemma you’ve created for yourselves. Indeed, yes, there is a first step you can take in resolving this whole issue.
FIFA: And what might that be?
IG: Remove the Xavi article from your website forthwith. Failure to do so will result in the FedEx man taking delivery of our package. Should that happen, I can assure you that your reign as the head of FIFA will come to a rather swift and painful end. No more hookers and blow for you, my friend.
FIFA: You’re a monster!
IG: No. I am, along with Arsene Wenger and everyone associated with Arsenal FC, professionals to the last. Our conduct of business is in proper form, and upholds the integrity of the sport at every turn. FIFA and Barcelona on the other hand, have acted shamefully and are without doubt looked upon with derision and scorn by all who love football.
FIFA: We…
IG: Stop. I’ve told you what must be done. The tapping up STOPS NOW. And FIFA will remove the Xavi article from the website immediately. And, should Barcelona continue their efforts to unsettle our Captain, I expect 100% support in our efforts to see punishment meted out for their blatant disregard of the rules.
FIFA: You’re asking us to go against Barcelona? I can’t…
IG: You can, and you will. Or you will have such a public scandal that FIFA will suffer significant harm as a governing body. Those are your choices.
FIFA: That’s blackmail!
IG: No, it’s not. You can either enforce the rules, or face the scorn of the football world as a limp-wristed organization that operates only for the benefit of a select few.
FIFA: Sigh…it will be done. We will remove the article from the website.
IG: Thank you, Sepp. And I’ll just keep that FedEx package handy in case you forget this conversation in the future. CLICK.
that would be absolutely brilliant!!
Could just imagine that happening too
SEND IT TO SKY SPORTS NEWS THEY WILL DO SOMMIN ABOUT IT!!! :p
These face off beetwen Arsenal President and FIFA(Sepp Blatter) was so interested and i luv d courage being summoned by him (Gazidis).This suppose to let FIFA realised that every one is looking at them the way they are favouring some football teams in some area to the detriments of others in another areas.Let the FIFA always be neutral whenever situation like this arrived betwwen two giant clubs not to systematically behinde one agaist the other one wish.
thanx.
[...] when it involves Barcelona I won’t blog it up – in most cases I will just add it to the Cesc Fabregas tapping up dossier compiled on a separate page (click here). You can add to that what you want as well in the comments, I’ll publish any evidence you get [...]
[...] months of hitting out at Barcelona for their tapping up of Cesc, the official site have lowered themselves to their level with this article with Bakary Sagna [...]