Back
Cesc Fabregas showed his class by insisting that he would not show disrespect to Michael Carrick by discussing speculation linking him with the Manchester United position, as the Como manager prepares to face his embattled opposite number in the Champions League. The Italian side have progressed at remarkable pace under the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder, who has guided the team to unprecedented success since ending his playing days in Lombardy.
Fabregas steered Como to an end of their 21-year exile from Serie A in 2024, and last campaign orchestrated the club's maiden qualification for European football, drawing increasing attention from observers elsewhere.
The ex-Spain international has been suggested as a potential future arrival in the Premier League, but responded sharply to questioning about the possibility of eventually heading back to England and perhaps assuming control at Old Trafford.
Fabregas said: "As you can understand I won't answer that question because I think that's not a very nice question.
"I don't think that shows enough respect to a great footballer and manager like Michael Carrick at the helm of a wonderful Manchester United side."
Fabregas rejected suggestions of turmoil at United, whose visit to the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia marks a "historic day once again for the club, the city of Como and fanbase".
"Man United is a historical club that I know very, very well," the Como manager added. "Tomorrow there will be two teams that will try to compete against each other.
"We have so much respect for who they are, for what they do because they have incredible players, good staff.
"I know (United assistant) Steve Holland very well because I worked with him for years at Chelsea and I know Michael has done really well in previous clubs as well.
"Last year he did really well bringing Manchester United back to where they belong, which is the Champions League, for the first time in many years, so not everything is that bad.
"It's a big honour to host them for the first time in our history."
Torrential downpours are predicted for Wednesday's clash beside Lake Como, where Fabregas' side celebrated their Champions League debut with an impressive 4-1 triumph over RB Leipzig.
A 3-2 defeat at Feyenoord followed last week, and welcoming United represents by far their most significant European fixture to date – though Fabregas emphasised this "is only the start of our development".
"I arrived here over four years ago as a player and I finished my career here," he continued. "If you see what I saw when I came here and what it is now, it's completely different.
"It's not even night and day. It's like we are in another world and it happened very, very fast.
"That's why sometimes we need to touch base, be humble, keep doing what we're doing. There's a lot to do, a lot to learn."
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Back
Top
| Privacy Statement Terms of Service Contact |
Refresh
|
All the best breaking news stories from Apex Football Lite. Optimised for feature phones and low end Android devices, Apex Football Lite helps users with legacy devices and poor network connectivity access the latest football news and live scores. Particularly relevant for breaking football news in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.