Como’s 4-1 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig has placed Cesc Fàbregas at the centre of another extraordinary European night, with president Mirwan Suwarso comparing the coach’s influence on the Italian club to Johan Cruyff’s legacy at Barcelona.
Headline: Fàbregas hailed after Como’s 4-1 Champions League statement against Leipzig
SEO Title: Cesc Fàbregas praised as Como beat RB Leipzig 4-1 in Champions League
SEO Description: Como president Mirwan Suwarso compared Cesc Fàbregas’s impact to Johan Cruyff’s at Barcelona after the Italian side’s historic 4-1 Champions League win over RB Leipzig.
A rapid rise reaches the Champions League
- Fàbregas took charge of Como in 2024, beginning a period that has transformed the club’s position in Italian and European football.
- Under the former Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea, Monaco and Como midfielder, the side secured promotion from Serie B and then established itself in Serie A.
- Como subsequently reached the Champions League for the first time, completing a rise from Serie C to the continental elite within only a few years.
- The 4-1 defeat of RB Leipzig marked a historic result for the club and gave fresh weight to its ambitions on the European stage.
President compares Fàbregas to Cruyff
Suwarso said Fàbregas had changed more than Como’s results, arguing that the 39-year-old has given the club a new way to think about its potential.
“For Como, Cesc Fàbregas is what Johan Cruyff was for Barcelona,” Suwarso said. “We hope his impact will continue to grow. He helped us reach this point, but the most important thing is that he has taught us to believe, to think differently and to dream on a bigger scale.”
The Como president added that Fàbregas had shown what could be achieved through work, and stressed that the coach had built with the club’s future in mind rather than pursuing a personal project.
“He has created something for Como, not for himself, and his mark will remain forever,” Suwarso said.
Fàbregas keeps focus on belief and adaptation
Fàbregas responded warmly to the Cruyff comparison after the Leipzig win, revealing that Suwarso had called him shortly beforehand to offer his thanks.
“It is a lovely thing to hear,” Fàbregas said. “He phoned me a couple of hours ago and said thank you.”
While acknowledging the speed of Como’s ascent, the coach insisted that the club must meet each new challenge rather than be overwhelmed by it.
“We are a very young club and we have moved forward incredibly quickly, but we have to adjust to everything,” he said.
Fàbregas described himself as a dreamer whose playing career was driven by mentality and an urge to improve. He said he was never particularly quick or agile, but possessed the ability to deliver the decisive pass. Now, as Como’s coach, he is seeking to pass on the experience and values that shaped his career.
For Como, the Leipzig result is not simply a scoreline to carry into the week. It is another indication that a club which recently occupied the lower reaches of Italian football has arrived in Champions League company with Fàbregas’s ideas at the heart of its climb.
