Cesc Fabregas still has sleepless nights regarding Jose Mourinho’s departure from Chelsea but insists he remains in touch with the Portuguese.
Chelsea 5/4 to be top London club
A startling dip in form from the Blues in the wake of a 2014-15 Premier League title triumph led Roman Abramovich to part with Mourinho’s services for a second time.
He headed for the exits amid talk of player unrest, with Fabregas among those to be branded “rats” by Chelsea supporters after failing to deliver for their manager.
The World Cup winner admits that he feels partly responsible, but is adamant that he enjoyed working under Mourinho and that there was never any breakdown in their working relationship.
Fabregas told the BBC’s Premier League Show : "I still wonder myself because it was such a shame.
"You go to bed sometimes and you think of many things and sometimes you cannot sleep.
"Still sometimes it bothers me because I could look from the outside as a fan and think, ‘these guys are not even trying’. But we just forgot to play football.
"You felt that those six months we were nowhere close to what we really were just a few months before. But it happened and I felt bad for it.
"We still talk today. He is probably the manager that I have had the best feeling and connection for. Apart from Arsene [Wenger], the one I have the most contact with is Jose."
Fabregas is set to be reunited with Mourinho again on Sunday when Manchester United pay a visit to Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard will be hoping to help the Blues replicate their 4-0 Premier League victory over the Red Devils from last season, but needs to raise his game after facing criticism alongside his team-mates on the back of a humbling 3-0 Champions League defeat to Roma in midweek.
Defending champions Chelsea head into their meeting with United sat four points behind Mourinho’s men and nine adrift of table-topping Manchester City.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)