Cesc Fabregas has opened up on his "regret" following Como’s sensational 4-1 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League. Despite masterminding one of the most significant results in the Italian club's history, the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder admitted to making a tactical error that cost his side a clean sheet.
Historic night for the Italian side
Como marked their maiden Champions League campaign with an unforgettable 4-1 triumph over struggling Manchester United. Nico Paz ran the show for the hosts, delivering a spectacular man-of-the-match performance that included two goals and an assist. His brilliance piled further misery on the Premier League giants, who have now managed just two wins from 11 matches across all competitions this term.
Jacobo Ramon added a fourth for Como in the 76th minute to put the game completely out of reach. However, Joshua Zirkzee grabbed a late consolation for the visitors in the dying moments of the match.
It was a goal that stemmed directly from a tactical instruction issued from the home dugout. That brief drop in intensity led to a frustrating end to an otherwise perfect evening for the Italian outfit.
Fabregas shoulders the blame
Fabregas was quick to take full responsibility for Zirkzee's late strike, admitting his decision to protect players ahead of their weekend domestic fixture backfired. The Como boss revealed he had instructed his squad to drop their intensity once they were comfortably four goals ahead.
"I regret the last ten minutes because I was the one who told the team to slow down the tempo because there’s another match and at 4-0 we could manage things a little," Fabregas confessed. "I told the players to stop running and stay in the middle and that is something I regret because I’m the first to always push them to fight until the end.
"Their goal hurt me because we dropped our intensity and dropped our defensive block, but it was my fault."
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the final whistle, the Spaniard also made sure to share the moment with his backroom team. "I want to dedicate the win to one of our kit staff, he knows why," he added.
Keeping feet firmly on the ground
Despite the monumental nature of the result, Fabregas was eager to downplay suggestions that Como could consistently dismantle Europe's elite. He stressed the importance of humility and preparation, praising his squad's self-belief as they navigate uncharted territory in European competition.
"It’s a special night, but we are still at the beginning for everything we have in our minds," Fabregas explained. "The team played well this evening, but we need to keep our feet on the ground and remember there is another match coming up on Saturday."
When asked about replicating the performance against top-tier opposition, he noted: "I don’t know about that, it’s a bold statement. We must try to remain humble.
"We will always prepare and try to play our game, whether it’s against Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final, or with Napoli and Roma in Serie A. Preparation is fundamental, but so is the belief of these lads. It is all more difficult if they don’t have that."
He concluded: "This was Manchester United we were up against tonight, it doesn’t matter if they are struggling at the moment, we must never forget that some of our players were having the third Champions League game of their entire careers.
"This is why the belief of these lads and their way of doing things gives me life. Winning this way is very satisfying, but this is where it gets difficult, playing the same way on Saturday in Serie A."
Back to domestic duty
Como will look to carry their European momentum into their Serie A campaign when they host Sassuolo this Saturday. While the historic victory over United will rightfully dominate the headlines, Fabregas has made it clear that maintaining those elite standards in the league will be the ultimate test for his newly confident squad.