Cesc Fàbregas has engineered a remarkable tactical and cultural turnaround at Como 1907, guiding the Italian club into the upper echelons of Serie A and the UEFA Champions League while mentoring young creative talent Nico Paz, clarin.com reported.

The club’s trajectory defies conventional expectations for a side that only recently returned to Italy’s top flight. Como 1907 sits fourth in the Serie A standings, trailing only Lazio, Inter Milan, and Roma, and holds the same fourth position in the expanded Champions League table following a 9-1 victory away against French side Lens.

That European campaign has already delivered both historic highs and surreal moments. During a commanding 4-1 victory against Manchester United, Fàbregas instructed his players to slow the tempo while leading by four goals, an in-game management decision he later publicly regretted.

Fàbregas arrived at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in 2022 as a 35-year-old midfielder finishing his playing career after stints with Chelsea and Monaco. Rather than seeking a lucrative twilight contract, he signed a two-year deal and took a minority stake in the club owned by Indonesian billionaires Michael and Robert Hartono.

“I’m here to bring Como to Serie A, this club has offered me a long-term project where I can also grow off the field,” Fàbregas explained upon his arrival, noting that he wanted to align himself with a forward-thinking alternative for the future. At the time, Como was competing in Serie B, a division the club had frequented while absent from the top tier since the 2002–03 campaign.

The former Barcelona and Arsenal playmaker employs an administrative method that separates him from traditional managers. Twenty-four hours before every fixture, Como’s executives receive a written tactical breakdown detailing how the team intends to play out from the back, create space, and use decoys.

The reports are not submitted for approval but for comprehension. Fàbregas issues a follow-up comparative report after the final whistle to evaluate execution against the initial plan, aiming to shift ownership focus away from raw scores and toward collective tactical understanding.

Fàbregas maintains a close personal friendship with Lionel Messi, sharing a bond forged in Barcelona’s La Masia academy where they met at age 13. The pair played 123 senior matches together for Barcelona, winning LaLiga in the 2012–13 season and the UEFA Super Cup in 2011.

The Como manager now oversees the development of another young, left-footed creator in Nico Paz. Following the victory over Manchester United, Fàbregas praised the midfielder’s output: “He was absolutely sensational. Two goals and an assist speak for themselves, but his creativity, dribbling, and football intelligence were on another level.”

Con una filosofía de juego vinculada a entrenadores como Arsène Wenger, Luis Aragonés y Pep Guardiola, Fàbregas tiene contrato con el Como hasta 2028, lo que coincide con la duración del vínculo de Hansi Flick en el Barcelona y alimenta especulaciones sobre un futuro regreso al Camp Nou.