Tello: Never Imagined Fàbregas Would Become a Coach; He Has Everything to Replace Flick

Former Barcelona player Tello gave an in-depth interview to Sport. In the third part of this interview, Tello discusses Fàbregas, Tito Vilanova, and Tata Martino, as well as his experiences playing for Porto and Fiorentina after leaving Barcelona.

Reporter: Something interesting happened during Guardiola's tenure. After Fàbregas returned, he tried to integrate him into the established team, even adjusting the system for him. I always felt Fàbregas never fully realized his potential at Barcelona. What's your view from a tactical perspective?

Tello: Both Pep and Tito are coaches who can use many different systems. When Fàbregas joined, he'd already played for Arsenal for years in a completely different role on the pitch compared to Barcelona. But I think he adapted very well. He played in many different positions, including false nine, number eight, and number six. If you look at his goal and assist statistics, you'll find he was a player who contributed greatly to the team.

Reporter: When you saw Fàbregas back then, did you ever think, as you might have with Luis Enrique, that he could also become a coach in the future and achieve the success he's now gaining with Como?

Tello: Honestly, no. When I was his teammate as a player, I never imagined he would become a coach. However, some former teammates have spoken very highly of him to me since then.

Reporter: Some say he might become Flick's successor. Do you think that's possible?

Tello: Of course, I can see it. He has all the qualities—Barcelona DNA, a clear understanding of what it means to play at the highest level, and he was a very intelligent player throughout his career. If he can bring what he did as a player into his coaching, he has every chance of becoming a very good coach.

Reporter: We just discussed how important Tito was during the season when you really established yourself. But there was also a very difficult, very sad part. At the end of that season, his condition deteriorated, and he had to leave the team for treatment. From the dressing room and personal perspective, how did you experience that period?

Tello: For me, it was a very difficult situation because he was a coach who really trusted me at that time, and the same applied to the entire dressing room. Losing your head coach, a central figure, for such a long time, for those reasons, was very heavy. The team was deeply affected; we were very worried about his health every day and wondering how he was doing. Then Jordi Roura took over the team, and he also did a good job. He always tried to keep everyone informed and maintain the same football philosophy and what we had done with Tito. Of course, there are some things you have to face, but the team was definitely very affected.

Reporter: In your third year with the first team, you met your third coach, Tata Martino. Your importance clearly diminished then, and you played much less. How do you remember that period?

Tello: That period was very difficult. I had just come through a phase under Tito where I had playing time and many opportunities to be a starter. But when Tata Martino arrived, the situation was completely the opposite. It was a very clear decline. I felt my playing time was even less than in my first year when I had just come up from the reserve team, as you can imagine.

It was a very difficult season because I felt I had really broken into the first team, had playing time, and was important. I initially thought I could take another step forward that season, but it turned out to be the opposite. The coach has his decisions and the team he wants to use. I ultimately had no choice but to step back and look for other options.

Reporter: In the summer of 2014, you decided to leave, and Luis Enrique happened to become Barcelona's coach that same summer. You knew him very well; what was the situation like then?

Tello: After Luis Enrique arrived at the club, I started preseason with the first team. He told me I needed to understand the team's situation at that time and know which players were ahead of me in my position. He said the decision was mine, that he trusted me and wanted me to stay, and that I would get playing time, but he couldn't guarantee a starter position because the players ahead of me made that very difficult. I understood completely.

Then an opportunity came up with Porto; they had just hired Julen Lopetegui. Lopetegui always trusted me during his time with the national team and always liked my style of play, so I decided to go to Porto with him.

Reporter: This was the first time you really left Spain as a professional player. Although you had been at Espanyol before, this was different. How did you experience the move abroad?

Tello: It was a very positive experience. When I went to Porto, I joined a club just as great as the one I'd played for before. After Lopetegui arrived, Porto also became very competitive in European competitions. The year working with Lopetegui was incredible for me; he gave me tremendous confidence, and I was very happy there.

Additionally, my daughter had just been born. Leaving Spain with my wife and daughter to live abroad was also an amazing experience for us.

Reporter: You went there on loan at that time. Were you still thinking about returning to Barcelona someday, or were you slowly starting to let go of that idea?

Tello: You always have that thought in the back of your mind about returning. But after I came to Porto, they really trusted me in my first season, and I had a very good year. My preference at that time was actually for Porto to activate the purchase clause. Because you come to a big club, play in the Champions League, and feel valued and confident.

My idea was to stay at Porto. I think for any player, being part of a team like that is very positive for their career.

Reporter: Then Porto didn't activate the purchase clause, and an opportunity with Fiorentina came up.

Tello: Yes. In January, Porto decided to part with Lopetegui, and I also realized I might not get as much playing time as before. That's when the Fiorentina option came up—to go to another league and experience a different football environment. Both my wife and I thought it was a positive choice, so I decided to join Fiorentina.

Reporter: There, you experienced another position change, starting to play as a fullback, right?

Tello: Yes, I had never played as a fullback before, but the Fiorentina coach at that time liked to use that style of play. I thought he was a very good coach, and I was very impressed with how he prepared matches and how the team played. Later, when I went to Betis, I played in that position again.

Reporter: If I remember correctly, you were loaned to Italy for one and a half seasons?

Tello: It was one and a half years. I first went to Fiorentina during that winter transfer window and played for half a season. After that, I returned to Barcelona and participated in preseason with the team. Because I had performed well in the previous half season, Fiorentina wanted me to play a full season there again.

Reporter: After such a long loan spell, when you returned to Barcelona for preseason, was it already clear to you that you were only back temporarily?

Tello: Yes, it was very clear to me by that point. I went directly from Porto to Fiorentina, and when I returned from Fiorentina, I already knew I wouldn't stay at Barcelona. I participated in preseason only because my next destination wasn't finalized yet, and also to stay fit. Luis Enrique was still there, but I was already very clear about what I would do next.

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