Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, has claimed that the deal that saw Cesc Fabregas leave Barcelona for Stamford Bridge, was agreed in 10 minutes.
Mourinho had to cancel a trip to Germany to watch his son play, so he could meet with Fabregas in London.
The Portuguese moved swiftly to speak with the midfielder, after it became clear he was leaving the Nou Camp and Arsenal were not ready to activate their buy-back clause.
“He obviously knew that I was the Chelsea manager so if he doesn’t want to come to Chelsea, I think he refuses to meet with me and when I invite him for the meeting, he told me immediately ‘Yes,’ so that’s one point,” Mourinho said. “I spoke with him and, after 10 minutes, he was telling me he wants to join us.
“Yes, it was one of my easiest signings. He was really happy to join us and after that, my club was so fast and so strong in doing things, which I was not expecting, really. Normally, these things take more time. My club was fantastic.”
Mourinho also spoke about not watching his goalkeeper son win the Jeno Konrad U-14 trophy at Nuremburg’s training facility in May.
“I wanted to go, that’s normal,” Mourinho said. “I never go. That weekend, I wanted to go. But it was the only day that Cesc could travel to London so I had to stay. I had to do my job. No problem. I will watch my son play other times.
“Cesc and I spoke about football, the Chelsea project, where I want him to play, the way I want him to transform my team, the Chelsea philosophy. We spoke in general terms about what we would be able to pay to Barcelona and what we would be able to pay to him – not to be decided there because that is not part of my job but just to give him an idea. And, after that, he was telling me: ‘Yes. I want to go. No doubt.’
“I was objective with him: ‘This is the way we want to play. This is the way we want to develop the team. No way with me are you going to play fake No9, outside left, outside right. No. What I need you to do is this, this and this.’ Everything was so clear.”
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