News Focus
- Cesc Fabregas commits long-term future to Como despite links to former clubs Arsenal and Chelsea
- The Spanish manager has full control over all football decisions including designing the training ground gym
- Fabregas guided Como from Serie B to top-four contention in Italy’s top flight within three seasons
- He plans to wait 12-15 years before managing in the Premier League, taking advice from José Mourinho
- The former midfielder rejected immediate interest in national team management
Cesc Fabregas has confirmed he feels no urgency to return to English football despite widespread reports linking him with jobs at Arsenal and Chelsea. The Como manager says he is content to remain in Italy for at least another decade before considering a move to the Premier League.
The former Spain international has transformed the Lombardy club since joining as a player-investor in 2022. Under his leadership, Como climbed from Serie B to the top division. They also reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals. Now the team sits in contention for a Champions League qualification place.
Fabregas holds a minority stake in the club alongside Indonesian billionaires the Hartono family. This ownership role gives him unusual authority for a coach. He controls every football decision including player recruitment, tactical approach, and infrastructure development.
“I make all the football choices,” Fabregas explained. “The sporting director works with me daily. We share the same vision for the game. When we sign players, we use data and scouting. But I must believe in each signing. I must feel convinced about every athlete.”
The 37-year-old has personally shaped the club’s physical environment. He worked with architects to design the training centre gymnasium. He insisted on glass walls facing the practice pitches. This idea came from his time under Arsène Wenger at Arsenal. Injured players can watch teammates train while doing recovery work.
He also changed the stadium pitch dimensions. Italian tradition favours narrow pitches for defensive compactness. Fabregas expanded the Stadio Sinigaglia surface to 65 metres wide. This suits Como’s possession-based style. “People told me to keep it at 63 metres for better defence,” he noted. “But that shows different football philosophies.”
Despite admitting the Premier League remains “the best league in the world,” Fabregas cites José Mourinho’s advice about patience. “Mourinho told me at Chelsea that he still had 30 years to work. I could stay here for 10 years. Then I can still go to England in 12 or 15 years.”
The manager also rejected suggestions he might coach a national team soon. “If you ask me now about managing a country, I say no. I love daily coaching. I love working on the grass with young players. I love individual training sessions.”
Fabregas describes the Como project as starting from “minus 10” rather than zero. He says the club remains ahead of schedule in its development. “We are building a European club from nothing. Every day I make decisions across the whole organisation. It feels like university. I am learning faster than I would anywhere else.”