Arsenal and Spain icon Cesc Fabregas recalls the moment he accidentally KNOCKED OUT a cyclist before being taken to a German police station

Cesc Fabregas has recalled how he accidentally knocked out a cyclist in Germany during some downtime at the 2006 World Cup.

The former midfielder – who was a teenager based at Arsenal when this happened – went out to celebrate after helping Spain beat Ukraine 4-0 in their opening game of the tournament.

But what was supposed to be a fun night out took a scary turn and ended with Fabregas and his team-mates taking a bloodied man to hospital.

Fabregas appeared on this week’s episode of The Rest Is Football podcast and told host Gary Lineker his version of events. 

‘In Germany at the World Cup we played the first game,’ Fabregas began. ‘[Manager] Luis Aragones said: “Okay, you have the night to go out.” So with [Carles] Puyol, [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi and Luis Garcia, we decided to have a night out, we went to a Japanese restaurant that we all loved at the time.

‘We took a big Range Rover to take all of us there and the driver dropped us just in front of the restaurant. It was not really a parking space but they just drop you on the side.

‘I didn’t really look when they dropped me on the side. Maybe I should, I was obviously mistaken, 100 per cent, but I didn’t. I just opened my door and there was a cyclist going fast and he flew and you could feel the contact of the cyclist with the door.

‘I didn’t know what to do. You see a cyclist on the floor unconscious, bleeding, thank God he had a helmet. Everyone there was worrying what was happening, Luis Garcia was touching his blood trying to clean him with his hands.

‘Then the police comes and it was a bit stupid, I was young. “Who was it that opened the door?” And me joking, I was so young and stupid: “Puyol! Puyol!” I was pointing at Puyol and he wanted to kill me.

Former Spain and Arsenal star Fabregas is now working as the manager of Serie A side Como

‘We had to go to the police station, we stayed there three hours we had to pay for a fine. We went back to the hotel to sleep a little bit, worried, and at eight o’clock in the morning there was a knock on the door, it was Luis Aragones.

‘I panicked because I sensed something is wrong. He said: “You know what, the cyclist was drunk… these things happen. If I told you the things I’ve done in my past, you wouldn’t worry at all.” The cyclist was okay, thank God.’

Fabregas and Co finished top of their group at the 2006 World Cup, after following up their win over Ukraine by beating Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

However, La Roja then exited the tournament in the round of 16 where they lost 3-1 to France.

Fabregas pictured crying after Spain lost to France in the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup

But Fabregas later went on to win three major international tournaments with Spain by triumphing at the 2010 World Cup, as well as at Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.

He also won two trophies with Arsenal, six with Barcelona and four with Chelsea.

Fabregas called time on his playing career in July last year and he is now working as the manager of Serie A club Como.