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Fabregas: Ramos' commitment doubts p***** me off

ESPN staff
November 26, 2014
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Cesc Fabregas says he was "p***** off" with Sergio Ramos for questioning his commitment to Spain and revealed he rang his international team-mate to set him straight about the extent of his recent injury.

Fabregas withdrew from Spain's Euro 2016 qualifier against Belarus and the friendly with Germany earlier this month due to a hamstring problem, but was asked to travel to Madrid for tests after which his national manager Vicente Del Bosque suggested that the issue was not so serious.

Diego Costa was also sidelined for both matches, after his Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had complained at length about the striker returning injured from the previous international break.

Cesc Fabregas played all of Chelsea's 2-1 win at Liverpool days before he was due to join up with Spain earlier this month © Getty Images
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However, Ramos suggested the pair had put club before country after Fabregas played the whole of Chelsea's 2-1 Premier League win at Liverpool, and Costa 90 minutes, a few days before they were set to join up with Del Bosque's squad.

"Yes, I felt that I was the one being alluded to and I already told Sergio what I thought," Fabregas said on Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

"We spoke by telephone and everything is fine. It pisses you off when your commitment is questioned, of course it p***** you off.

"There have been a lot of matches and training camps I have turned up for without playing. I have made 94 appearances for Spain and for nine years I have always come, always. And with a smile from ear to ear.

"I said to Ramos he can call me on the telephone and say it to my face. I told him we have been playing together since the Under-21s and there is no need to send messages in the media."

Both Fabregas and Costa were both then selected for Chelsea's first game back after the international break, at home to West Brom in the Premier League.

After that game Jose Mourinho criticised Ramos' intervention - saying his former Real Madrid charge was a good player but not a medical expert.

Asked to respond to these latest comments, Del Bosque said he would prefer if each individual concentrated on their own business.

"I have nothing to say about this," Del Bosque told Spanish newspaper Marca. "We rate Mourinho as the great coach he is, but I believe everyone should just talk about their own house, their own job, their own tasks, nothing more."

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