Cesc Fabregas has offered a glowing tribute to his former teammate Nemanja Matic, calling the former Chelsea midfielder as intelligent as anyone.
Nemanja Matic’s second spell at Chelsea remains the gold standard for defensive midfielders at Stamford Bridge, playing a big part in two Premier League titles. Most notably, his partnership with Cesc Fabregas during the 2014/15 campaign is remembered for all the right reasons.
During his three-and-a-half seasons, Matic’s ability to manage games and recycle possession made him indispensable to both Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. His departure to Manchester United in 2017 is still cited by many fans as a pivotal moment that destabilised the club’s midfield for years.
For Fabregas, Matic’s selfless defensive work gave life to his own playmaking style, allowing him to go out and truly express himself.
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Cesc Fabregas still loves Nemanja Matic to this day
Ahead of Como’s clash with Sassuolo, Cesc Fabregas has been speaking highly of his former Chelsea teammate, Nemanja Matic, who plays for the opposition (as per Tutto Mercato Web).
“Matic is like my brother, I played with him and he gave me life. He’s as intelligent as anyone. He manages the dynamics of matches, in another league. We know Thorstvedt well, based on the data he’s producing very high performances.”
Como currently sit in fifth in the Serie A table after 32 games, while Sassuolo currently find themselves in 11th place. However, Fabregas’ side comes into this one after a 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan.
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Nemanja Matic actually preferred playing with N’Golo Kante
The one thing that Matic didn’t like about playing with Cesc Fabregas was the fact that he had to be more defensive-minded than he did alongside N’Golo Kante.
“In 2015, I played mostly with Cesc, in 2017 it was more alongside N’Golo with Cesc in front. I liked it with both. Cesc was a maestro with the ball, giving the final pass. N’Golo — more passing, defensive midfielders who win the ball and break up the opposing attacks as soon as possible and pass to the maestros in front, Cesc, Oscar, Pedro, (Eden) Hazard, these guys.
“With Cesc I had to be worried more about defensive things to cover because he would attack, I had to bring more balance in front of the defensive line. With N’Golo, we had a deal: he watched left, I watched right. I had to run less with N’Golo. I felt amazing with both.”
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