Cesc Fabregas insists he has never thought about leaving Como, after being asked whether Sassuolo coach Alberto Aquilani could one day succeed him.
With quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Spaniard was speaking at his press conference ahead of Saturday’s visit of Aquilani’s Sassuolo, three days after Como thrashed Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League. President Mirwan Suwarso had recently spoken highly of Aquilani.
“I’ve never thought about leaving. If I started thinking about it, maybe that would be the end for me here, but I’ve never done it,” Fabregas said. “I can certainly say positive things about him. His football is very similar in terms of ideas. You’re making me think about it now, but I’m very relaxed about his career and what he’ll go on to do.”
Fabregas has been linked with several top jobs since leading Como to promotion and into the Champions League, including Inter and Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, but has stayed put.
Fabregas praises Aquilani and Nico Paz
The two coaches first got to know each other in Serie B, when Aquilani was in charge of Pisa.
“I really like Alberto as a coach, for his ideas and his courage, and for how his teams play football,” Fabregas said. “He called me last summer because he really wanted Rispoli at Catanzaro. Rispoli was the first player I ever had as a coach, so sending him to Alberto gave me complete peace of mind.”
The Como boss also explained why Nico Paz is never left out of his side.
“You have to know the person and what kind of lad he is. Nico isn’t someone who needs to be helped along. The less you talk to him, the better. He has an incredible mentality,” Fabregas said. “We’ve been together for more than two years and he has grown enormously. He might even be among the team’s top three defenders. That mentality makes the difference before he even competes, and that’s why I never take him out.”
Como will be without Assane Diao and Moise Kean on Saturday, while Martin Liberali is also unlikely to feature with a minor problem. Fabregas said Kean could return on Tuesday, but couldn’t guarantee it.