Source: Daily_Mail
'I will play for Catalonia' - Fabregas set for Wenger showdown over friendly
Johan Cruyff has gone head to head with Arsene Wenger by picking Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas to play in a friendly for Catalonia next week.[LNB]Cruyff wants the Arsenal midfielder in a star-studded team that will play Argentina in the Nou Camp on December 22 to raise funds for grass roots sport in the region.[LNB] Club v non-country debate: Cesc Fabregas won't be allowed to play for Catalonia on December 22 even though Johan Cruyff has picked him[LNB]Fabregas is deeply proud of his Catalan roots and grew up regarding former Barcelona boss Cruyff as a footballing god. Wenger has the right to refuse permission for him to play because Catalonia are not an official FIFAFA nation, and has already said he won't allow it.[LNB]But Fabregas, 22, seems keen to take part. On Saturday morning, the day after Wenger had expressly warned he would refuse permission, Fabregas told Spanish daily newspaper Marca: 'I'll play for Arsenal this Wednesday against Burnley and three days after against Hull.[LNB]'After that we have a gap in the Premier League and so on December 22 I will play for Catalonia at the Nou Camp. We are going to have almost a week without any games in the English league, and I want to take advantage of this by going to Spain and playing for the Catalan team against Argentina.'[LNB]Wenger is more worried about keeping his talismanic midfield leader fit for a Christmas programme that includes meeting in-form Aston Villa as well as a trip to bottom club Portsmouth.[LNB]Fabregas has already played 20 games for the Gunners this season, as well as five for Spain.[LNB]Call for change: Arsene Wenger is demanding that clubs have more say when their players go away on international duty[LNB]But Wenger has lost top scorer Robin van Persie, who was injured on international duty with Holland, and is trying to make a stand to give clubs more power over international call-ups.[LNB]Liverpool have refused to release Javier Mascherano for the Argentina team, making Wenger dig his heels in even more strongly.[LNB]The Arsenal manager has been very vocal on the matter of international friendlies and was angered when Van Persie was injured while away with Holland. Last night he said: 'I look basically to rebalance a little bit the power in favour of the clubs.[LNB]'At the moment we feel inside the clubs - and that feeling is shared between many managers - that we have nothing to say. Our players go away to friendlies, they come back injured and nobody cares and we just have to accept the situation.[LNB]'Why do we not have the priority medically? If a player goes away on a Sunday with his national team and on Tuesday he gets injured, why has the club doctor not got the right to see the player before he continues to practise with the national team? This priority has to be right.[LNB]'We have two situations: one for official games and one for friendly games. For me it is a little bit surprising. Why should a player have no compensation in a friendly game where he is less needed than in an official game? The risk is exactly the same.'[LNB]Fabregas, meanwhile, will be focused on tomorrow's trip to Burnley knowing Arsenal must not waste the three points they won at Anfield in a spectacular second-half revival.[LNB]He said: 'The title race has a long way to go and is more open than ever. You can see that any team can beat any team, which is good for the spectators and all the teams. We're happy with the situation we're in right now.[LNB]'What I've learned over the years is that a football team is not only about one player or two players, it's about the team.[LNB]'There are 25 players in the squad and whoever comes in can do very well, as we showed at Liverpool.[LNB]'There's still a long way to go and we can improve in many ways. In the first half we were not at our best, but came back to win the game, which is the sign of a big team. But we can always improve.'[LNB] Anfield wonder strike topped my four goal haul, says Arsenal hero ArshavinJens Lehmann stamps on opponent, gets red card and storms off homeYou're not fit to wear the shirt! Wenger blast inspires Arsenal win at LiverpoolARSENAL FC
