Fàbregas faces United with memories of 'Pizzagate'

A startling confession after 14 years

Former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas is preparing for a new clash against Manchester United, with his Italian side Como, at the Giuseppe Senigallia stadium, in the third round of the league phase of the Champions League, this Wednesday evening.

The Spanish coach has been a thorn in the Red Devils' side since his playing days at Arsenal.

England's press turned its attention today to the history between Fabregas and United, dusting off the infamous "pizzagate" incident that embroiled the former Arsenal man and Sir Alex Ferguson more than two decades ago.

"Pizzagate": Fabregas reveals the secret

The incident dates back to October 2004, when Arsenal travelled to Old Trafford chasing their 50th consecutive Premier League match without defeat. Yet the game earned its fame for what happened after the final whistle.

Arsenal's historic run ended in defeat. Tension then boiled over between both sets of players in the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms, with jostling and altercations, before someone threw a slice of pizza that struck Ferguson. That moment became the centrepiece of one of English football's most famous tales, later known as "Pizzagate", according to Manchester Evening News.

For years nobody knew who threw the slice, despite growing suspicions over Fabregas. Ferguson himself pointed to the Spaniard as a suspect, while former Arsenal defender Martin Keown fuelled the speculation when he spoke of "a highly skilled Spanish player" without naming him.

Fabregas finally settled the debate during his appearance on Sky in 2018, saying: "Suddenly I heard voices, and I wondered what was happening, then I came out holding the slice of pizza, and I saw Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown, with everyone jostling."

He continued: "I wanted to take part in the clash, but I didn't know how to do it, so I just threw the slice of pizza. And when I saw the person it struck, that wasn't what I meant."

Fabregas later confirmed he apologised directly to Ferguson, telling beIN Sports: "I found out later that it struck Sir Ferguson, and I had already apologised publicly, and I will repeat my apology. It was not deliberate, but a moment that happened spontaneously. I was young in age, and I certainly would not use a slice of pizza now, I would get straight into the clash!".

Hunger and anger behind the story

In 2022, Fabregas revealed more details about the incident during an interview with ITV, saying: "We had gone 49 matches unbeaten. They were very competitive, but they were also very clever. And I came in for a lot of criticism too."

Frustration got the better of him after the defeat and his absence from the match, he explained, adding: "I was doing the warm-ups and didn't play, and I was upset because we lost. I went into the dressing room quickly, and there was some food there, and I was starving.

He wrapped up his account by saying: "I took a slice of pizza, then we started to hear noises. And the first thing that came to my mind was to throw the pizza, because I didn't have the strength or perhaps the courage to get into that confrontation."