Soccer
Cesc Fabregas says he believes in ‘long-term’ Como project amid links to Inter
Cesc Fabregas appeared to commit his future to Como amidst reports linking him with Inter Milan, stating he believes in the “long-term project” at last season’s Serie A newcomers.
The former Arsenal and Spain midfielder guided the team to an impressive 10th-place finish in their first top-flight campaign for 21 years helped by a club-record six-match winning run between April and May.
A first season in senior management for the 38-year-old ended with his reputation as a head coach significantly raised, reportedly catching the eye of Inter who are without a manager after Simone Inzaghi departed this week in the aftermath of Saturday’s 5-0 Champions League final loss to Paris St Germain.
“I really believe in the Como project,” Fabregas said at the SXSW event taking place in London, as reported by La Gazzetta della Sport.
“I started with this club because I was thinking about a long-term project. I don’t want to finish my career at a club where there’s a project for one or two years and then everything ends.”
Fabregas, who is a minority shareholder of the club, joined Como as a player in 2022 and played out the final year of his career with the club in Serie B.
After retiring the following summer, he joined the coaching staff, briefly taking charge of the first team as caretaker after boss Moreno Longo was sacked.
Welsh coach Osian Roberts took charge for the remainder of the promotion-winning season while Fabregas completed his UEFA coaching qualifications, with the World Cup and Champions League-winner taking over last summer.
“I really believe in Como’s long-term project,” he said. “I arrived here as a player and I’m very, very happy because I get to work in the way that I want. We have the same goals and the same ambition.
“The President allows me to work the way I want, the way I see things. Fortunately, we share the same vision and have the same goal, which is to go as far as possible.
“We’ve become a really good team together, in a small town, in a small club but with big, very big ambitions for the future.”
Inter meanwhile have signed Croatia international Petar Sucic from Dinamo Zagreb.
The midfielder, who has seven international caps, played last season on loan at Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar.
