'A Spanish team playing in Serie A' - Is Cesc Fabregas the man to save Chelsea?

‘The Premier League is the objective; it is the biggest dream a coach can have. Have I got it in me? Time will tell.’

Perhaps Cesc Fabregas thought it might take more than two and a half years before these innocuous comments, made in an interview with Sky Sports back in August 2023, were dug back up.

But given the Spaniard’s rapid managerial rise at Como, it should come as no surprise that he has already caught the eye of several top European clubs – not least one or two of his former clubs.

Following Liam Rosenior’s dismissal from Chelsea , owners BlueCo are now on the hunt for their fifth managerial appointment since taking over the west London club.

And reports suggest that Fabregas, a two-time league winner at Chelsea as a player, is a name under heavy consideration to take over next season.

So what could Fabregas bring to Chelsea if given the reins at Stamford Bridge?

Cesc Fabregas has progressed quickly at Como (Picture: Getty)

After an illustrious playing career, Fabregas went straight into coaching at Como, initially working with the youth and B-team but quickly progressing to first-team assistant.

And having helped Como back to Serie A at the first time of asking, Fabregas took over as head coach, guiding the Italian club to a tenth-place finish in their first season back in the top-flight.

Como continued their progression this season and currently sit fifth and in contention for European qualification with just five games of the season remaining.

Alongside an attractive brand of football, Fabregas has also developed a reputation as an analytical thinker and excellent communicator, no doubt helped by his fluency in four languages and standing in the game.

‘For sure, Cesc is going to be one of the very top coaches,’ former Como goalkeeper Pepe Reina told The Athletic last year.

‘He has his ideas of football and also a pragmatism when it comes to communicating his message to everyone. He convinces you.’

In an interview with ITV in 2024, Fabregas laid out his approach as clear as day. ‘A team that wants to dominate, a team that wants to create chances, to defend as high as possible up the pitch, to have a good reaggression after we lose the ball,’ he said.

Those ideals are borne out in the data. Frequently deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation, Como have had an average of 61.1 per cent possession in Serie A this season, the most of any side.

In build-up, the two central midfielders often drop deep to draw out the press and create space centrally, with wingers coming inside and full-backs providing width down the flanks.

Como in action (Picture: Coaches’ Voice)

Nico Paz, the young Argentine on loan from Real Madrid, is often at the fulcrum of Como’s attacking incisiveness, linking well with the striker and deeper midfielders to help unlock defences.

And while deliberate on the ball, Como’s tally of 61 through balls this season is second only to Juventus , indicating a desire to still play through the lines to onrushing attackers when possible.

Without the ball, Fabregas sticks to his principles, too. Como’s PPDA (Passes per Defensive Action) of 9.1, the best in Serie A, shows a team that presses intensely to win the ball back quickly.

Cesc Fabregas has spent two full seasons in charge at Como (Picture: Getty)

And the eight goals scored from high turnovers (again, the most in Serie A) show that Como are often rewarded for their brave, high-intensity pressing approach.

Fabregas’ style has not been without its detractors, though, with some, including fellow Serie A managers, questioning whether his approach opts for style over substance.

‘Fabregas is a bit of a controversial figure, because in Italy, there’s always been this debate between those who play well and those who win games,’ Italian football journalist Lorenzo Bettoni noted.

‘It’s a debate that has involved mostly Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, who’s on the other side, who’s more practical, somebody who cares a little more about the result than the playing style itself.

‘On the other side, we’ve got coaches like Cesc Fabregas. He’s shown to be a coach who has great ideas, who is able to implement a great playing style. But at the same time, there are doubts on whether he can actually achieve results solely relying on his playing style and not accepting any compromise.’

Chelsea co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly are weighing up their fifth hire (Picture: Getty)

A move back to London would mean more for Fabregas than merely swapping the lakes of Como for the banks of the Thames.

As a shareholder as well as head coach at Como, Fabregas has a level of influence unlikely to be afforded to him at Chelsea, who have seen several head coaches butt heads with those above them in boardroom positions.

And while Fabregas’s Como squad is the fourth-youngest in Serie A, it has also leant on experience with the likes of Diego Carlos and Alvaro Morata both signed last summer.

It is abundantly clear that another new Chelsea head coach trying to implement his fresh principles would benefit greatly from an injection of experience into that squad.

But whether the club would even slightly consider altering course from their aggressive youth-first transfer policy is a gamble for Fabregas to weigh up.

In some regards, comparisons could be drawn between Fabregas and his fellow countryman Mikel Arteta, who has turned Arsenal’s fortunes on their head since arriving as an unproven novice in 2019.

Whether Fabregas would be afforded the same time in the pressure-cooker environment of Stamford Bridge remains to be seen, but his record in Italy suggests he doesn’t need long to get things moving in the right direction.

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