Cesc Fabregas' move to Barcelona will solidify the Spanish champions' talented midfield and not force Xavi Hernandez into retirement, the new arrival said on Friday.
Fabregas joined his boyhood club from Arsenal on Monday and helped the Catalans to a Spanish Supercup victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday when he started the buildup to Lionel Messi's late winner.
The 24-year-old said it would have been easy to remain at Arsenal - the club he joined from Barcelona at 16 - but ''I needed a new challenge in my life.''
''It was partly my fault for leaving (Barcelona). I saw few opportunities in the first team with Xavi being so young at that time, and there was also Andres (Iniesta) and a few other players ahead of me,'' Fabregas said in an interview on the club's website. ''That a team like Arsenal would come and ask about me really impressed me, especially when (manager) Arsene Wenger cut short his holidays to come and meet me.''
Fabregas believes his addition to a midfield already rated as perhaps the world's best thanks to Xavi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and rising talent Thiago Alcantara will produce more results following the Supercup win. Barcelona has won 11 major trophies under coach Pep Guardiola in just over three seasons.
''I still think Xavi has some years left in him - I didn't come here to retire Xavi,'' Fabregas said of his 31-year-old Spain teammate. ''I came here to play with Xavi, compete with Xavi and win with Xavi. And the same applies to Andres and Thiago - I think our group will gel well and we can do great things.''
Although the past eight years with the Gunners provided special moments, they only yielded two trophies with Fabregas a regular starter only when the club won the 2005 FA Cup.
''The easy thing would have been to stay at Arsenal. I was the captain, I played every game, we were always in the Champions League and fighting for titles. If those were the factors I suppose this would be the worst moment to come to Barcelona,'' Fabregas said. ''I needed a change. I needed something special to motivate me and get the best out of me.''
