In the story of Italy's failure recently, what are Cesc Fabregas and the club related to? They are "small" in Northern Italy but are touching core and important questions for Italian football.
The torn wounds
Italian football is ranked in the list of the 5 strongest football nations in Europe. Their Serie A was once a place where the world learned how to organize, how to defend, how to win with reason. But currently, the crisis is no longer a sign. It must be affirmed that the wound not only does not heal but is increasingly torn.
Let's recall what happened in the past few weeks. In the 2025 - 2026 season, Serie A has no representatives participating in the Champions League quarter-finals. In both the Europa League and the Conference League, there is only 1 representative left. That detail is enough to show that the gap is widening. When English, Spanish, and German clubs are constantly innovating in speed, data and match approach, Italy seems to still stand between two flows: Wanting to change but not daring to leave the old.
The fact that Inter Milan has reached the Champions League final twice in the last 3 seasons seemed to be a milestone for the revival of Serie A, but in the end it did not go anywhere. The last time Italy had a representative win the Champions League was in 2010, also with the name Inter Milan.
A bigger shock came on April Fool's Day, when the Azzurri lost their ticket to the World Cup. For the third consecutive time. Failure is no longer a temporary issue, but has become a trend. A football background may fall into a state of decline at some point, but when failure recurs, it is a problematic structure.
Fabregas, Como and the question for Italian football
I don't have physique, speed or dribbling skills, nor even enough flexibility to do everything quickly," Fabregas once said about his playing career, "I have to go one step ahead in my head, I have to know clearly what I will do with the ball before it reaches me.
At Como's training center in Mozzate, the 38-year-old coach presented 3 to 4 options he used to escape pressing. Every time Fabregas talks about football, people can easily recognize that he has thought about this game his whole life. Not just tactics, but also skills, every technical detail in every action on the field.
He always answered frankly and fully. Leaving Fabregas's press conference room, people often feel like they have just learned something more. In a developed and tactical football background like Italy, that should have been welcomed. In fact, a generation of young Italian coaches and analysts are learning from Fabregas, inspired by him.
But not everyone likes that frankness. Older former players - who occupy most of the commentary space - along with veteran editors defending the "Italian tradition", see Fabregas's openness as a form of "showing off". While in reality, he is only opening the door to his thinking to help others better understand how Como works.
At this point, Fabregas is no different from Daniele De Rossi - a coach who is also very straightforward. But when Fabregas does that, he is labeled as a Catalan person with "moral superiority". Cultural resistance to Fabregas and Como grows with each victory. They are an exception in a league where most teams play 3-5-2, with Italian coaches who have been "recycled" through many rounds.
At the age of 38, Fabregas seems to be seen as a threat to the old order - while in reality, he has a lot to teach back to that environment. Only 18 months after his first promotion after 2 decades, Como is even dreaming of a Champions League spot.
After the 0-5 defeat, Swedish coach Oscar Hiljemark of Pisa called Como "one of the best teams in Italy". It must be another "extravert" to see that clearly. Not every Italian denies Fabregas. Luciano Spalletti expressed interest when he learned that Fabregas adjusted the size of the Sinigaglia stadium, expanding it to create a tactical advantage. "If I were a player, I would want to be coached by him," Spalletti said.
Fabregas not only learned from Pep Guardiola or Arsene Wenger, but also from Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. But those who criticize him often ignore it, because it does not fit the story they want to tell. In Fabregas's eyes, football is football, not of any particular country. There is no such thing as English, Spanish or Italian football in absolute terms. Only different contexts, but the nature of the game is still the same.
However, he is still seen as a "provoker", similar to how Roberto De Zerbi was once seen in Sassuolo. A "cultural war" that they themselves do not want to participate in.
Fabregas explains how he works: Every night, he thinks of ways to help players cope with the marking system of Italian teams. Small details such as pulling defenders up to midfield, creating position chaos - all are calculated.
Of course, Como also has a strong financial foundation from the Hartono family. But money does not guarantee success. Juventus spends heavily but still struggles. Fiorentina spends 90 million Euros but has to compete for relegation. Como chooses another direction: Building identity, connecting the community, investing in potential. Young names like Nico Paz, Assane Diao or Martin Baturina come here not only for money, but for Fabregas.
He turns unknown players into important factors. Even, only Lautaro Martinez scored more goals than Anastasios Douvikas in Serie A this season. However, the media is still skeptical, emphasizing "too many foreign factors". Fabregas does not avoid the problem. He admits it is difficult to find Italian players ready for Serie A, but that is the story of the training system, not his fault.
In fact, what Fabregas does is like setting a mirror before Italian football. And not everyone likes to look at it.
Between conservation and change
Italy does not lack good coaches. But modern football is not just a story of coaches. It is a system that includes training, data, fitness, thinking. In this aspect, Italy is slowing down. Fabregas, in a way, is not the one who breaks the order. He is only operating according to new standards. The question is: Will Italy dare to change?
Change does not mean abandoning identity. Discipline, organization, and tactical thinking are still valuable assets. But without adding speed, flexibility, and an open approach, those values will gradually lose their competitiveness.
A noteworthy detail is that Fabregas is also an investor in Como. That means, he ties his interests to the future of the team and believes that another path is possible. Fabregas only hopes for one thing that people say 99% about football, and 1% about sideline controversies.
That did not happen. But perhaps, soon, when the results are large enough, people will be forced to look back. And then, Fabregas may have been in the group of 1% of the best coaches in Europe.
