Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has finally admitted he was the one who threw a slice of pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson during the infamous 'Pizzagate' incident in 2004, ending more than a decade of speculation.
The confession came ahead of Fabregas's first managerial clash with Manchester United, as his Como side prepare to face the Red Devils in this week's Champions League. The Spaniard was a teenager on the Arsenal bench in October 2004 when Arsene Wenger's side travelled to Old Trafford chasing a 50th unbeaten Premier League match. The game became better known for what happened after the final whistle, with Ferguson having a slice of pizza thrown at him.
How the mystery was finally solved
For years, the identity of the pizza thrower remained a mystery. Ferguson himself identified Fabregas as a likely suspect, while former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown stoked the fire by indicating "A Spanish fella with great technique" was to blame without naming anyone directly.
Eventually, during an appearance on Sky show A League of Their Own, Fabregas removed all doubt about what went on - though not without calling out his former team-mate Keown. "Martin Keown is a liar because I saw him in front of me just, like, punching people so he didn't see anything," the Spaniard said.
What really happened at Old Trafford
Fabregas described the chaotic scene that led to the throw. "All of a sudden, I heard noises, and I thought, 'What's happening?' So I go out with my slice of pizza and I saw Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand, Martin Keown... everyone pushing each other. I was like, 'I want to get in, but I don't know how to', and I threw, just threw it. Once I saw it was hitting, like, who it was hitting, which I didn't mean."
He also confirmed further down the line that he had apologised directly to Ferguson. "I found out later it touched Mr Ferguson and I apologised already publicly and I'll do it again," he told beIN Sports. "It wasn't intentional it was a moment that just happens. I was young, I definitely wouldn't use a pizza now, I would get straight in there now!"
Fabregas reflects on the incident years later
In 2022, Fabregas revealed slightly more detail about Pizzagate during an interview with ITV. That was the year in which he would move to Como, initially as a player, before later moving into a coaching role. "We were 49 games unbeaten. They were so competitive but they were very smart people. I was getting a lot of stick as well," he said when reflecting on Arsenal's Old Trafford reverse. "I was very frustrated. You're warming up and didn't play. You're annoyed you lost. I just went in quickly to the dressing room and there was some food there, I was starving. I took a slice of pizza and we started hearing noises. The first thing that occurred to me was to throw the pizza because I didn't have the power or the courage maybe to go into that fight."
