FABREGAS WON’T GIVE UP

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said that the club refused to give up on their principles and it was extremely delightful to see according to the midfielder. The former Arsenal man said that the Champions League exit would have been more painful had they given up on their philosophies in the match against Chelsea. Chelsea defended with 10 men behind the ball all the time. As a result, Barcelona were unable to play their usual passing game due to the number of bodies around the penalty box. Barcelona were also unable to cross the ball due to the lack of height within the team.

This meant that Chelsea are able to complete a stunning 3-2 win on aggregate against Barcelona, which helped them reach the final of the Champions League where they will be facing Bayern Munich. Many have been pointing out to the fact that Barcelona lacked a Plan B when the passing game was not working out. However, Fabregas has said that it was more crucial that Barcelona did not deviate from their philosophy of passing football. Despite having more than 80% of the possession in the match, Barcelona were unable to create many clear-cut opportunities apart from the penalty taken by Lionel Messi.

“It’s a painful way to go out because we were superior. The result in Stamford Bridge is what did us in. We played a great game, we dominated and we created a lot of chances. We didn’t sacrifice our style. It’s painful to be eliminated this way, seeing that we had a lot of chances to score. It’s a very hard blow. We have to hold our heads high. [Next year] we’ll have the chance to do important things,” Fabregas said after the match. Fabregas won the penalty for Barcelona, which was missed by Lionel Messi.