Spanish coach, Cesc Fabregas, admitted he was unaware of the existence of a club called Como 1907 before accepting the project to manage the team and guide them to the Champions League. Fabregas opened up about the unusual circumstances surrounding his acceptance of the offer from the Italian club. Prior to becoming their coach, Fabregas had played for the Lombardy-based side between 2022 and 2023, making a total of 13 appearances.
Choosing *I Lariani* as the place to end his career was certainly an unconventional move for the former Barcelona, Chelsea, and Arsenal star. Will Como be the winner of the Champions League this year? Nothing impossible as long as you support them into dugoutcentral.com before the match begins.
How it Started
However, Fabregas gradually proved that his choice was the right one, successfully elevating Como 1907’s fortunes within just three years—having started as an interim coach and assistant to Osian Roberts in 2023. He officially took charge of the team for the 2024–2025 season, marking Como 1907’s debut in the Italian top flight.
In his first season managing the club—owned by the Hartono family—Fabregas led the team to a 10th-place finish. His achievements became even more impressive in the 2025–2026 season, when he guided *I Lariani* to fourth place in the final standings, thereby securing a spot in the 2026–2027 Champions League.
Unaware of the Club Despite Frequent Vacations to Como
Regarding his decision to accept the project offered by Como 1907, Fabregas admitted he found it strange that he hadn’t known a club existed there, despite frequently vacationing in the city of Como. However, as reported by Goal, Fabregas revealed that his instincts led him to accept the offer from Como while speaking at the *Festival dello Sport* in Trento, Italy. “The Como project began in quite a unique way; I actually had several other offers, but I felt this was the right decision. Sometimes, you just have to follow your heart,” said Cesc Fabregas, the Como 1907 coach.
The former Spanish national team midfielder also shared an amusing anecdote about his initial familiarity with the area where his current club is based.
“Funnily enough, I had vacationed in Como several times, yet I didn’t even know there was a football team here,” said Cesc Fabregas, the Como 1907 coach. Fabregas went on to explain that he gained much of his knowledge regarding coaching from Italian manager Antonio Conte. He played under Conte during the latter’s tenure at Chelsea (2016–2018), a period that saw them win the Premier League title in the 2016–2017 season and the FA Cup in 2017–2018.
In addition to playing under Conte, Fabregas was also managed by other legendary coaches, including Vicente del Bosque (Spain national team), Pep Guardiola (Barcelona), and Arsène Wenger (Arsenal).
“The first time I saw football changing was when I met Conte at Chelsea. I was 29 years old at the time and had already achieved a great deal,” said Cesc Fabregas, the Como 1907 coach. The former Arsenal and Chelsea player compared the tactical approaches of the great coaches who had managed him throughout his professional career. “For instance, Arsene Wenger didn’t focus heavily on tactical drills at Arsenal, even though he was one of the best coaches in the world. The same applied to Del Bosque. With Conte, however, I saw a shift.
He is extremely focused on details,” said Cesc Fabregas, the Como 1907 coach. This meticulous approach by the Italian manager came as a surprise to him, despite his extensive experience at the highest level.
“At first, it was surprising and felt overwhelming, because I didn’t understand why someone would dictate exactly where I had to pass the ball; no one had ever done anything like that before,” said Cesc Fabregas, the Como 1907 coach.