According to reports, Cesc Fabregas, the former star of Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea, has now transformed Como into a new sensation in Serie A as a young coach. The team, with five consecutive wins, has become the hottest team in the league. Bold, attacking, fluid, dominant, and flexible football are the keys to the success of a team that now sits in 10th place, 19 points clear of the relegation zone.

Fabregas, who brought Como back to the top tier of Italian football after 21 years, says: “Our goal has always been to climb higher. If one day this thirst disappears, it means I or some players need to change our path.”

His remarkable success has led to Fabregas being mentioned as a potential successor to Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen or even Claudio Ranieri at Roma, but he is currently focused only on Como: “When the season is over, I need a short break. Then we have to sit down with Como and see what our goals are. The priority is Como for now.”

In November 2023, while Como was in the Serie B playoff spot, the club’s management decided to part ways with Moreno Longo and handed the reins to the 38-year-old Fabregas. A change that paid off. Now, media outlets like Gazzetta dello Sport describe him as a blend of “Guardiola, Conte, and Harry Potter,” while Corriere della Sera calls his team’s play “a delight to watch.”

Carl Alberto Lodi, Como’s sporting director, says: “On the very first day, he told us we had to rebuild everything. At that moment, we knew a great coach was on the way.”

Fabregas himself says: “There are different styles in football. You can’t dismiss any of them. Guardiola, Conte, Mourinho, and even Simeone each have their own style. But the important thing is to believe in your own style. I can’t tell my players to just send long balls and fight for the second ball because I don’t believe in this model and can’t convey the right message to the team.

I want my team to have possession, press intelligently, and transition thoughtfully. Serie A is a very tough and tactical league. So we need players who are technical, fighters, and intelligent.”

Como currently plays with two systems, 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, under Fabregas: “I don’t want my players to see only one path like robots when there are hundreds of options during the game.”

With an average possession of 54%, he remains committed to building play from the back but has transformed the team’s style into a faster and more fluid approach. Winter signings have also helped: Dao, Kekre, Douvikas, Alex Valle, Ikoné, Vojvoda, and Butz.

Quick pressing after losing the ball has become a signature of a team whose lines play close together and start defending from an average of 63.5 meters in the opponent’s half. Como allows opponents only 11.3 passes per possession, making them one of the top 12 teams in Europe’s top five leagues in this regard.

They average 12.3 shots per 90 minutes and 49.4 attacking third entries while conceding only 9.14 shots. Como is the second-best team in ball recoveries (1,684) and successful tackles (391).

Fabregas says: “It doesn’t matter if our opponent is Napoli or the bottom team; we always try to press high and play with a consistent mentality.”

The result of this tactical trust and stability is evident in the players’ stats. Nico Paz is the third-highest shooter in the league (99 shots), while Sterfza and Lucas Da Cunha are among the top 10 chance creators. In Fabregas’ team, “how to play” matters a lot.