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How Cesc Fàbregas Is Turning Como Into Serie A’s Surprise Contenders
Whisper it quietly, but Como could be the surprise package in Serie A this season.
The unfancied side from Lombardy, coached by none other than Cesc Fàbregas, have made a flying start to the 2025/26 campaign and are beginning to make Italy’s footballing elite sit up and take notice.
What once seemed like a romantic football story on the banks of Lake Como is fast becoming one of Europe’s most compelling sporting fairytales.
From Monaco to Management
When Cesc Fàbregas joined Como as a player in 2022, few outside Italy paid much attention. The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder had been released by AS Monaco after injuries ended his final years in France.
His decision to join a modest Serie B side looked more like a lifestyle choice than a career move. But behind the scenes, Fàbregas was already plotting his next chapter.
Just a year later, he hung up his boots and immediately took charge of Como’s U19 and B teams while earning his UEFA ‘A’ coaching licence. By the time the club secured promotion to Serie A in 2024, the Spaniard was ready for the big seat.
In his debut season as head coach, Fàbregas led Como to a remarkable 10th-place finish their highest top-flight position since 1987. For a team that had been playing in Italy’s fourth division just a few years earlier, it was a staggering achievement.
But the real magic, it seems, was yet to come.
Shockwaves Across Serie A
Fast forward to 2025/26, and Como have gone from survival hopefuls to legitimate contenders for European football.
Their best-ever result came in week seven of the season, when they hosted and defeated Juventus. The Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, perched on the edge of Lake Como, erupted as Marc-Oliver Kempf and young star Nico Paz fired the hosts to a 2-1 victory that sent shockwaves through the division.
That wasn’t an isolated miracle. Europa League winners Atalanta could only manage a draw against Fàbregas’ men, while Fiorentina fell 2-1 in Florence courtesy of another Kempf strike and a dramatic last-minute winner from Jayden Osei Addai.
After eight matches, Como have lost just once a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bologna early in the campaign. They currently sit sixth in the table, just five points behind leaders Napoli.
For a newly established Serie A side, that’s not just good form it’s historic.
The Billionaire Brothers Who Built the Dream
Como’s rise didn’t happen overnight. The foundations were laid back in 2019, when Indonesian billionaire brothers Robert and Michael Hartono, among Asia’s richest men, bought the struggling club.
At the time, Como were toiling in Italy’s fourth tier. But the Hartonos saw beyond the results. They saw potential in a picturesque stadium on the shores of Lake Como, one of the world’s most glamorous destinations, and a sleeping giant of a club with deep local roots.
Their investment sparked a steady, strategic rebuild. Modern facilities, smart recruitment, and a global profile that grew thanks to visits from Hollywood stars like Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, and Michael Fassbender.
Raising the club’s visibility helped attract better players and bigger sponsors a virtuous cycle that has since accelerated Como’s rise.
A €125 Million Summer Spree
If 2024/25 was about establishing a foundation, this summer was about ambition.
The Hartono brothers injected a staggering €125 million into the transfer budget, giving Fàbregas the freedom to strengthen across the pitch.
Among the headline arrivals were Alvaro Morata, Jesús Rodríguez, and Barcelona youth product Álex Valle. Yet, the biggest success of the window might be who they kept.
Nico Paz, the 21-year-old Argentinian midfielder once on Real Madrid’s books, was the subject of strong interest from his former club who even considered triggering their buy-back clause.
But Los Blancos ultimately passed, allowing Como to retain their most prized asset.
And it’s paid off handsomely. Paz has already contributed five goals and four assists in eight games, orchestrating play from midfield and embodying the creativity and composure that Fàbregas himself once displayed as a player.
Veterans, Vision, and a Winning Formula
Experience has blended beautifully with youth at Como. While Paz and Osei Addai bring flair and dynamism, the squad’s balance owes much to experienced players like Sergi Roberto.
The former Barcelona man, now 33, has found new life in Lombardy, providing leadership that has proved invaluable even while sidelined with injury.
Meanwhile, centre-back Kempf has emerged as a cult hero, both for his defensive reliability and knack for crucial goals.
Every player seems to be thriving under Fàbregas’ philosophy: quick transitions, controlled possession, and a belief that no opponent is too big to challenge.
