‘We bring in hungry, humble players’: How Cesc Fàbregas is leading the incredible rise of Como

Mirwan Suwarso, president of Como since the takeover by Indonesia’s Djarum Group in 2019. Photograph: Marta Clinco/The Guardian

The press conference itself, Fàbregas handled masterfully. He was engaged and, at times, spoke passionately. Attempts to draw a clickbait headline were glided past in the same effortless way he picked passes in his prime with Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Spain.

He is obsessive, regularly spending 16-hour days at Como’s Mozzate training ground. But he is relaxed and, despite the infancy of his coaching career, able to laugh at his own mistakes.

“I look at when we got promoted from Serie B to Serie A and I look at the team doing certain things that at the time were working wonders for us and now I’m saying: ‘I would never do this in my life,’” he says grinning. “I do want to look back and remember that it’s been a long way and that we were humble enough and open-minded enough to be always constantly growing and getting better, you know?”

Fàbregas joined Como as a player in August 2022, retiring the following summer and immediately beginning to coach the primavera (under-19) team.

In November 2023 he became interim first-team manager. Fàbregas then assisted Osian Roberts who is now head of development – while he completed his coaching badges. After the pair secured promotion, Fàbregas was appointed permanent manager. Como finished 10th in Serie A the following season.

Osian Roberts, who as head of development is looking to secure Como’s long-term success. Photograph: Marta Clinco/The Guardian

To outsiders Como’s ascent has seemed seamless but it has required meticulous management. “You have to be very careful about group dynamics,” says Roberts, who arrived on minority shareholder Thierry Henry’s recommendation. “Keeping the chemistry is not easy with such a high turnover of players, which was a risk but a necessary one.”.

As counterbalance, Fàbregas brought in players “some of whom he’d played with, that he knew would help really manage the dressing room at crucial times”. Examples last season included the now retired Pepe Reina and Raphaël Varane. The latter remains involved as an invester – Fàbregas also hold shares – a club ambassador and a director, providing strategic advice and playing an active role in the club’s youth focus.

Regular substitutes this year, including last Sunday, have been Álvaro Morata and Sergi Roberto, both Champions League winners. While each has passed their lofty peaks, they are invaluable, within the playing group and among fans.

Take Morata, who before the match tried to high-five a mascot only for an official to accidentally intervene. A second later Morata doubled back to ensure the youngster did not leave disappointed. Small things create lasting memories.

Como’s headline grabbers, though, have been the young stars. Argentinian Nicolás Paz, 21, is a silky No 10 with 18 league goal involvements this season. He has also won the third most tackles in the league. Paz was signed for €6m in 2024, with Real Madrid retaining a buy-back clause for the next two summers.

Como’s relationship with Madrid is a strong one, with €2.5m centre-back Jacobo Ramón, 21, this season’s standout arrival. Other young signings excelling include Lucas Da Cunha, Álex Valle, Assane Diao and ex-Manchester City man Máximo Perrone.

Fàbregas has the final say, but leans heavily on a recruitment team headed by Barend Verkerk. As a child, the Dutchman played Football Manager by exporting data into a spreadsheet and inputting his own algorithms. Now he is “in charge of putting the names on the table”, with a data scout, six full-time scouts (including one each in key-focus regions Scandinavia and Spain), three tactical analysts and two sports psychologists all reporting to him.

Roberts’s role is now wider. He is there to build the future foundations. “There are two things that have always been close to my heart,” Roberts says. “Developing players and developing staff. If we can continue to do that then they will help the club to form a strong foundation that will be here for many years to come.”

The women’s team have just been promoted to Serie A for the first time, while the primavera are a final-day win from also achieving that.

Barend Verkerk, director of recruitment at Como, developed his own algorithms for Football Manager in his youth. Photograph: Marta Clinco/The Guardian

Sustainability will be key to Como’s long-term success. The most recent accounts show a pre-tax loss of €105.1m, although Suwarso likens them to a “start-up” and is aspiring for profitability within two years. However, while the stadium will receive a facelift and a few thousand new seats in 2027, it cannot hope to compete with neighbours Inter and Milan commercially. At least, not conventionally.

“We didn’t want to become, what was trending at the time, a multi-club ownership model,” Suwarso says. “We wanted to become what we call the multi-club servicing model. Everything we’ve learned in Como can be offered as a service to other sports organisations.”

Examples of such learnings include software for data analytics, player behaviour analysis software, and health tracking. “The football team is proof of concept.”

Then there is the tourist element. The club’s website offers a variety of premium lake-side packages, while hospitality packages are sold out well in advance and attract celebrities. Visitors have included the actor Damian Lewis and UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett.

Fashion is vital, too, with designer Rhuigi Villaseñor appointed as chief brand officer. Adidas now make Como’s kit, while collaborators include Rhude – Villaseñor’s LA streetwear brand – and Italian suit makers Brioni. As part of its multi-club servicing model, Rhude 4 Fans will provide capsule collections for clubs including Everton and Tottenham.

Cesc Fàbregas before Como’s recent Serie A match against Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. Photograph: Nicolò Campo/LightRocket/Getty Images

Within all of this, there has been a conscious effort not to alienate history. There is little crossover in the Venn diagram of Como citizens and those who occupy the glitzy hotels around the lake or can afford €500 for a pair of designer shorts.

“Everything that we do, we try to make sure that the interests of the core fans are protected,” Suwarso says, adding that season-ticket holders from the club’s Serie C days still pay virtually the same for entry.

“We are foreigners who came here to manage an Italian soccer team. The people of Como are very proud of their origin. They have their own culture. When we first came, we immediately tried to learn what is the core of our fans. What do they want? What do they stand for? Who are they?

“As we developed our branding and communication strategy, which is basically the DNA of the team itself, we agreed that we have to become something truly Como. That’s why we picked up the slogan ‘Semm Cumasch’ – ‘We are Como’.”

Truly Como is becoming truly special. The club is just taking off.