Cesc Fàbregas admits that he does not remember the trophies he won as a footballer and reveals that he had promised a “surprise” to Como’s players if they scored from a set piece in their match.
Como defeated Sassuolo 2–0 in the opening match of Serie A’s Matchday 13 on Friday, reaching 24 points—level with Inter, Napoli and Bologna—in the Champions League positions.
Fàbregas analyzed the match in a post-game interview for Sky Sport Italia:
“The most important things are the team’s performance. Another clean sheet, the team always dominates, and the organization improves with every match. We feel good, but I hope this is only the beginning for Como. Some players arrived just four months ago and are still adapting to what we want to do.”
However, there was something the Spaniard wasn’t entirely satisfied with:
“To be honest, we left too much space between the lines, and when we lost the ball, we often dropped deeper instead of being aggressive,” he said.
“It’s something I talked about at halftime because I didn’t like it. We gave Sassuolo space to launch counterattacks. In the second half, we managed the situation better.”
A journalist told Fàbregas that Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany recently stated that trophies are important for players and fans, whereas football coaches tend to focus on building teams and continuous improvement.
“I’ll tell you something more. I don’t remember the trophies I won as a footballer,” Fàbregas replied.
“I remember the moments in the dressing room, the unity, how we helped each other and improved together. Unfortunately, there is less and less time in football to build. I’m happy to be at Como because we’re doing things differently. We have patience. We know we make mistakes, and we know there are ups and downs with such young players. The key word is building.”
Fàbregas also gave a speech on the pitch after the match:
“Before the game, I said that if we won with a goal from a set piece, there would be a surprise,” the Spaniard said.
“Everyone was waiting, but I actually hadn’t planned anything. They already have two days off; maybe they’ll ask for three, but now isn’t the right moment.”
